


The Chief Consul's Diary

by Bilbosama



Category: Ni no Kuni II: Revenant Kingdom (Video Game)
Genre: Additional Warnings in Author's Notes, Cross-Posted on FanFiction.Net, Culture Shock, Diary/Journal, Gen, Slice of Life, Slight Canon Divergence, Survivor Guilt, Swearing, accents how do they work, batu is everyone's dad, brick jokes, dad jokes and puns, evan and his tendency to read your diary, evan has more grimalkin traits besides the ears and tail, gratuitous leafbook, if you're finding this in your search results while doing the latest dlc I'm so sorry orz, minor character death past and present, non-consensual telepathy, not DLC compliant, phone batteries don't work that way, roland whump in later chapters, semi-novelization in that most of the canon plot happens off screen until I can't skip it anymore, sky pirate justice, sometimes the answer is 'idk magic i guess', spoiler warning for chapter content and discussion in comments, that's rude evan, the author regrets some things, the five stages of grief, the horned one is a jerk basically, the horned one speaks in Zalgo font, the one with too much lore focused on kingmakers whoops, threats of possession, to be honest its kinda mood whiplash-y in here, world building
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-05-02
Updated: 2018-10-04
Packaged: 2019-05-01 07:29:39
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 50
Words: 108,655
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/14515425
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Bilbosama/pseuds/Bilbosama
Summary: A selection of journal entries written by Roland Crane, Chief Consul of EvermoreOr: How Roland gradually went native while dealing with culture shock, grief, an 11 year old king with chronic hero syndrome, grumpy nobles, and very angry dragons.





	1. Prologue

**Author's Note:**

> Last weekend I beat the final boss of Ni No Kuni 2 and fell into the post-game 'what do I do now' funk. Clearly the best way to deal with it is to write and whoo boy I have so many ideas it hurts.
> 
> I was originally going for 'historical documents in a textbook' kind of thing but the idea evolved into 'Evan comes across Roland's journal entries' and that feels a lot easier to do.
> 
> The game doesn't give much backstory to Roland besides being president at age 48, having a son, learned sword fighting as a kid to deter bullies, and at one point had his hair grow long enough to be in a ponytail when he was young (20ish maybe?). So yeah, there will be some headcanon utilized, just giving you all a heads up now.
> 
> This story will be updated when I have the time so don't expect daily updates.
> 
> Disclaimer: I don't own Ni No Kuni 2: Revenant Kingdom or anything in it. That goes to Level 5 and Bandai Namco. I'm just here to play in the sandbox for a bit.

Day 3/March 25, 20XX/???

It was the sound of a man's voice that woke up Evan and he froze as his body registered the sensation of the hard ground beneath him and the scent of a recent campfire.

"...Is Roland Crane, President of Eagalia...if that still exists anymore. I am not sure how I got here but the last thing I remember was being driven to Yorkton to negotiate a peace treaty when I saw a nuclear missile fly by before detonating in the city..."

Evan relaxed. That's right, he remembered now. Roland had appeared in a flash of light in Evan's bedchambers just as Mausinger's coup began the day before yesterday. Roland had no idea what was going on but he figured out what was happening quickly. He had then chose to protect the young king he just met. They has escaped thanks to Nella's sacrifice and spent all day yesterday climbing down the mountains after following a secret passage they had found in their escape in the sewers of Ding Dong Dell. Roland had told Evan that he was a leader of his own country in his world over the next morning's campfire. He then decided he would stay in this world and protect the true king of Ding Dong Dell as long as he can.

"...There's no way telling if I really am in another world or if this is the afterlife..."

Surely not this could be the afterlife! People would not be able to die if it was!

"...Evan appears to be around Sean's age despite being a deposed king. Within a month, he lost his father, a mother figure, and his right to rule his kingdom. He has nothing now. I...I can't just abandon him. Melissa would never forgive me if I did. There's monsters outside of this cave. They'd tear him apart!"

Evan bristled, indignant. He can most certainly take care of some monsters! He had some magic and sword training!

...Alright, so they may have heard the roar of a Windwyrm last night. It greatly startled Roland and it caused him to herd Evan to the nearest cave to spend the night in. Turns out dragons are a creature of myth in Roland's world but are still considered dangerous just like in this land. It would be foolish to fight one with just two people.

There was no way to fall back to sleep now. Evan opened his eyes to see Roland standing by the cave entrance, his back facing Evan. He was talking into something.

"...Whatever Evan decides, I will follow him," he was saying and the fact that Evan had someone willing to be at his side greatly warmed him.

Choosing at this moment to interrupt, Evan fake yawned and said sleepily, "Roland?"

Roland turned around as he heard Evan, "Ah. Good morning, Your Majesty." In his hand was a gray device. He tapped it a few times before placing it in his guardsman's coat pocket.

Evan had seen it the day before. Roland had pulled it out of his strange outfit's pocket, looked at it before frowning and muttering about no signals.

"What is that?" Evan asked, curious.

"It's a communication device from my world," said Roland, pulling it out again to show to the boy, "it has several other functions such as recording voice memos to yourself. If I ever somehow find my way back home, I would need some proof, no?"

Evan nodded. That made sense.

Roland was about to speak again when he glanced the entrance of the cave and gasped. He stepped outside with an amazed expression. Curious, Evan followed.

"Oh," he whispered.

The sun was beginning to rise and the streaks of light peaking through the mountains highlighted the landscape. The land outside of Ding Dong Dell was green fields with tall plateaus that seemed to rise forever into the sky, leaving shadows in its wake. Birds flew by a waterfall, chirping to one another. In the distance, you can faintly see what appears to be wolves gathering around a river to take in their first fill of water of the day.

Roland mutely reached for his device and held it to face the landscape. He tapped it a few times and a 'click' sound was heard. He looked at the device and nodded in satisfaction as he put it away again. He looked back at Evan.

"Come on, let's go."


	2. Entry 1 - Curiosity killed the half-cat

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Roland experiences the consequences of the modern definition of hubris

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To clarify: Roland wont be using his phone much in this story because 1) battery power is precious, 2) he's using local tech in case he randomly goes home and any info he has for Evermore's everyday operations stays put in the kingdom and 3) he has no idea if two worlds' technologies can interact and if Bracken ever brings it up, he'd be reluctant about it.
> 
> I also would like to warn new readers that there will be spoilers later on in the story and in the reviews/comments so tread carefully if you haven't gotten far in the game.
> 
> There is also large gaps in between entries because realistically, in order to get to places/activate trip doors, you have to travel by foot/boat first. And some days are probably a lost cause because oh look a cave let's explore it for a few hours. So yeah, I feel that Roland was in the other world longer than a few months.
> 
> The year in the dates Roland puts down are 20XX because I'm making it ambiguous as to what year it is. Of course this means Roland could be old enough to remember certain TV shows he watched as a kid like, say, the original Thundercats or the 2011 version. So...yeah.
> 
> CONTENT WARNING: Mentions of drinking and a brief description of Roland vs Nuclear Missile
> 
> (...I should probably up the rating to T after this)

Day 25/April 17, 20XX/???

Evan was pleased at how well his newly established kingdom was progressing. Sure, it was a bunch of tents and some fences at the moment but tomorrow they'll be setting out to the Forest of Niall to ask the leader of the Greenlings permission to harvest some of the forest's wood.

The tents were positioned and named. The one in the center, for example, was called the Throne Room. The one on the left of the Throne Room was being referred to as the Meeting Room. Because there were more people than tents, some had to share a tent. Batu and Tani managed to claim a tent for themselves and their people who had followed them respected that. Evan, while he would be getting his own quarters eventually, has to share a tent with Roland. Gerel, the merchant who followed Batu, claimed the one closest to the settlement's entrance for herself. Something about business sense she had said.

Roland seemed rather on guard despite his easygoing expression but Evan couldn't blame him. They did just spent several days fighting off a large swarm of bandits who claimed the Rubbly Ruins for themselves and were unwilling to grant passage to the lands beyond. And the week before that, they were slowly marched to their possible doom to the sky pirates' village with their hands secured to prevent any decent escapes for about a day. And before that, there were hordes of monsters that would instigate a fight. _All the time._

At the moment, Roland had first watch and so he was out patrolling the parameter with Chingis and Khunbish. Despite their...rough introduction, the three men seemed to be getting along rather well.

Perhaps it was how Roland managed to out drink Khunbish and Chingis at the celebration feast held in honor of Evan successfully passing the Trials and bonding with Lofty. The only explanation Roland had given was 'partying was expected for new students at college' - whatever that had meant - but it lead to various people challenging him to a drinking contest. Evan had no idea one could drink that much.

Roland ended up losing to Batu (who had only lost to a few times in the past to his dearly departed wife). In the morning, he maintained a blank face as best as he could around people who normally shouted and flew loud machines. Lofty even followed him around for a couple of hours, occasionally whistling.

Apparently this was the sort of thing to do around somebody who drank too much the night before as a punishment. But despite losing to the pirate chief and being considered as a 'cocky twig of a lad', Roland ended up gaining the villagers' respect.

Adults are strange, Evan decided as he entered his tent.

The tent contained a couple of bed rolls already prepared for the night, a large box and a smaller box in front of it between the bed rolls, a candle along with a book and a pencil sitting on top of the larger box, a rag that Evan had seen Roland use to clean his gun a few times, and the Leafbook viewer Roland had bought from the traveling Grimalkin merchant they encountered by the entrance of Cloudcoil Canyon. The last two items sat on the bed roll on the right. The rag smelled as though it was recently used. Evan wrinkled his nose as he detected the combined scents of cleaner and bullet residue. Gross.

Evan picked up the Leafbook viewer and opened it. The screen inside flashed a message:

[ENTER PASSWORD]

Darn, Roland already figured out how to lock it. Evan closed the viewer with a frown and placed it back in its original spot on the bed roll. He glanced at the book on the 'table.'

He was aware that he was snooping but curiosity has taken hold of him and he already bid goodnight to Tani and Batu so people weren't just going to burst in for no reason. As for Roland, he won't be back until midnight. It wouldn't hurt to take a peek, right?

Evan carefully opened the book and in the candle light, he can see that the first two pages each contained a word that was followed by boxes lined up in seven columns that were also labeled. Turning the next several pages revealed the same.

It then occurred to Evan that he was looking at a calendar system used in Roland's world. He made a mental note to himself to tell Roland about the Common Tongue Calendar sometime.

He turned a page and struck gold.

The page after the calendars was written in cursive handwriting, which had been drilled into Evan by tutors the moment he finished learning the letters of Common Tongue and Grimalspeak.

_Entry One_

_April 2, 20XX_

_Today marks the tenth day since my sudden arrival to this world. A week and a half has gone by and I have found no explanation as to how I got here or how to return to my world. Miss Aranella had told me of an old story, a fairy tale really, that there are parallel worlds and some people share their souls with another who resides in a world different than their own. I assume she believed my presence was the result of a...soul mate trying to save us from dying too soon.  
_

_I suppose I should introduce myself. My name is Roland Crane, age 48. Before I arrived here, I was the President of Eagalia. I was traveling to Yorkton, a major city in my country, to negotiate a peace treaty and to prevent global war from starting. However, before I could reach my destination, I noticed a missile flying by just before it detonated in the city._

_I...survived the initial blast by not being in the exact epicenter but the shock waves of the explosion caused the car I was riding in to flip over several times. If the heat and radiation didn't get to kill me first, then perhaps my injuries from the crash would have done the job._

_The pain was unbearable. It was like I had broken every part of my body before being set on fire. I had gone blind and which had spared me from seeing more missiles I could hear flying by to strike more cities of the nation I worked so hard for five years to lead. I had failed. War has started and Eagalia was the first to go.  
_

_Just when the mercy of unconsciousness could take me, I felt a soothing warmth fill my body. The pain seemed to melt away and I became weightless. I couldn't seem to move but it didn't bother me. I had accepted my fate and whatever will come next.  
_

_And then I was dropped onto a floor of an unknown location. I heard someone cry out in shock and I opened my eyes to see (I could see again!) a young boy with cat ears of all things wielding a knife and reasonably demanding an explanation for my sudden presence in his chambers._

_It was here where I discovered that I had suddenly became 19 years old again with the hair style to prove it (thank God I didn't arrive younger or I would be reliving the time I thought a mullet was a good idea). My suit showed no signs of what I had endured. It was bewildering and the sudden explosions rocking the boy's furniture signaling the start of a coup was something my overstimulated mind didn't need.  
_

_Until this moment, I have never heard of a kingdom called Ding Dong Dell ruled by a boy king named Evan or have fought off bipedal mice as tall as me._

_A reasonable explanation for the surreal situation unfolding around me is that I have gone mad from the pain of my injuries or I have died and this was the afterlife. Or perhaps, Miss Aranella was right and I did get transported to an alternate world full of monsters and sentient animalistic beings that live alongside with humans. And magic. Magic is a thing here. It's normally a part of fairy tales back home.  
_

_Considering how locals around here get offended whenever I suggest I am either comatose or dead, the best answer is most likely 'magic.' How...convenient.  
_

"What are you doing?" asked Lofty. Evan squeaked and the golden hair on his head fluffed up as he froze in alarm.

"Lofty!" he hissed, "Don't sneak up on me like that!"

The Kingmaker hopped into Evan's lap and peered into the book Evan was reading. Lofty turned to look up at the young king.

"Did anyone ever tell you," it said in its odd accent, "that reading somebody's diary is flippin' rude?"

"Ah..."

"Want to know your new dad's tragic backstory, hmmm?" Lofty accused, "about how his world works without magic and human folk only stick with other human folk because mating with animals is taboo?"

"What?"

"Oh never mind that," grumbled Lofty as it turned a few pages, "that sort of thing should be brought up once girls are all you can think about when puberty truly kicks in. I don't flippin' envy Drippy on that front."

"Who?"

"Somebody I know, don't you worry your royal head about it. Ah ha!" It finally found the page it was looking for. It read silently for a couple minutes before jumping off Evan's lap grumbling.

"So this is the flippin' thanks I get for making sure the idiot didn't drop dead from having more wine than blood," it said as it left the tent to presumably sulk.

Curious, Evan looked into the journal. The handwriting looked less neat and more erratic.

_Entry Ugh.  
_

_April Who Cares, 20Whatever_

_Oh God why did I think that drinking contests was a good idea? Note to self: Rebuild tolerance in the event I find myself in this situation again. Or never drink again. That's a better plan.  
_

_Why must everything be so loud?_

_Why must Lofty follow me around? I didn't link up with him, Evan did. Go whistle in his ear, please, for the love of all that's good._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter went places I didn't expect. But, um, perhaps making Roland be less like the second coming of Professor Layton (with a large dash of Roy Mustang) isn't a bad idea after all.
> 
> I'm terrible at writing accents so I am not even going to try with Lofty and Niall's accents.
> 
> Originally, I was going to have this set 30 days after Roland's arrival but I shaved off a few days once I noticed what I put down for a timeline. Here's to hoping I am consistent about this.


	3. Entry 2 - Some things are universal

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which clearly the best way to beat writer's block is dad jokes.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So for several days I decided the best way to make things consistent in this story was to actually make a timeline of the game plot.
> 
> The timeline I made was for reference and therefore probably a bit off base on some places and doesn't factor in side quests and the optional skirmish battles. This fic will most likely end up with an extended version because some side quests will be referenced.
> 
> Will I ever release it into the wild via tumblr? Maybe but I'm kinda terrified of causing a fandom war.
> 
> I partially regret making it and it almost killed my drive to write but I have persevered to deliver some...dad jokes.

* * *

Day 50/May 12, 20XX/?

It's been five days since construction began. At first it appeared that it would take at least several months to build a few houses, some stores, and a castle. But for the past couple of days, it was like Grimalkin and humans with a Dellian accent were just popping up from nowhere.

It turned out that after the coup, many people managed to flee Ding Dong Dell before Mausinger intervened and had soldiers posted around all known escape routes. According to some posts on Leafbook, nobody is allowed to enter or leave Ding Dong Dell.

Batu had ordered his men to allow people to have safe passage through Cloudcoil Canyon. The air pirate base became a half-way settlement and some air planes carried passengers to the Heartlands.

A few curious mercenaries from Goldpaw traveling through trip doors had came by yesterday and offered their services of patrolling the construction site's perimeter to ward off monsters and bandits.

Evan had been beside himself since construction began. He had been wandering about, as if in a daze. It lead to a few close calls at the site and at the Base where everyone would go to rest for the time being. As a result, some have taken to follow him around. Lofty was grateful for the 'greatly needed assistance in keeping the flippin' tuna-for-brains alive' since the Kingsbond between him and Evan is brand new and thus he was limited in what he can actually do.

Today, it was Tani escorting Evan and the two preteens watched as Batu, Roland, and ten other people focused on building Gerel's shop. There was some conversation going on before a Dellian Grimalkin said something that made the others groan.

"That pun is terrible, Gene, and you know it," said one of his countrymen.

Gene laughed, "Ah but puns can lighten up the spirit!"

"I see," said another Grimalkin, shaking his shaggy head, "let's just make sure we don't go too far and _darken_ the mood, hmm?"

"Ya gotta be _kitten_ me," grumbled Batu. The Dellian builders laughed and clapped his shoulder.

Tani sighed and stepped up to her father, "Oi! Be more serious!"

Batu crossed his arms before a small smile formed, "Hello, serious. I'm dad." Roland coughed in a way that meant he was disguising a laugh, catching the others' attention.

"Ah! I see ye got those from where yer from!" grinned Batu, "C'mon, tell us one!"

"Well..." Roland rubbed his chin in thought for a moment.

And then he smirked, "How do you make a bandstand? By taking away the chairs."

There was a moment of silence before the men started roaring in laughter.

"I got one!" said a sky pirate, "Why didn't the Skeleplasm go to the party? Because it had no body to go with."

Tani raised her arms in defeat before grabbing Evan by the arm as the adults laughed, "Let's go before it gets worse."

"O-oh. Okay..."

"Crrrrikey," Lofty finally spoken up, "these puns are the cuttin' edge, mun!"

Tani sighed.

* * *

In the end, the jokes seemed to spread and Tani lead a few youngsters back to the Base. She and Evan hid in the Chief's hut where Evan pensively gazed at the distance mountains, as if in deep thought.

"You know...Father used to do that too," he said, finally.

"Oh?" Tani absently replied as she ran a hand along the small stack of books Batu had by his bed. A couple she recognized as storybooks her father had read to her when she was five.

"He used to tell jokes like that. Some of my tutors would scold him if they were in the same room with him and me. Something about confusing language, I dunno." He shrugged.

Tani felt awkward, "That's...weird of them." Oh look, there's dad's old Leafbook Viewer. She opened it only to find it password locked.

"Towards the end, he couldn't speak much without getting incredibly tired," Evan added quietly, "I wouldn't have minded if he could tell one last joke to me."

A sniffle was heard and Tani tossed the Viewer aside before hugging the young king.

"I'm sorry."

Evan silently cried it out and the two children sat on the floor side-by-side for a half hour, not speaking. It was starting to get awkward, fast.

Fortunately, Evan broke the ice by grumbling that his tail was falling asleep and carefully stood up. Tani followed suit and paused as she noticed a small treasure chest at the other side of the large room. Curious, she opened it as Evan watched.

Inside they found Roland's cleaning cloth, a sack containing the weird suit Roland was wearing at the trial in Goldpaw, and a book.

"Oh, that's Roland's diary," whispered Evan as Tani opened it to a random page.

_Entry 10_

_May 6, 20XX_

_Goldpaw is fascinating yet nerve wracking. I am glad we will be returning to the forest of Niall tomorrow to tell him the good news. I must remain diligent and keep the kids in sight at all times, however. I'd rather not be the cause of Miss Aranella coming back to haunt us all if a shady casino dealer ignored the adult-only gambling laws. The dice incident Palace's gatekeeper was enough.  
_

("What a dad," grumbled Tani.)

_It is fortunate that the trial ended favorably and did not jeopardize any future relations with Goldpaw. I still am concerned of Mandarin, if that's his real name. How did his disguise earn Pugnacious' trust so easily? How and when did he learn how to weaken an established Kingsbond? Will he be targeting Evan and Lofty as well?  
_

_And why does he feel so vaguely familiar to me when the two of us have never met before? Just who is he?_

"Oh, flippin' heck! This again?" said Lofty suddenly.

"Lofty!" The king and the chief's daughter yelped, startled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Did you hear about the fire at the circus? It was in tents.
> 
> A little 3 AM research showed me that a small castle can take years to build but considering that the world NNK2 is set in has a) magic and b) possible deus ex machina potential in the form of Kingmakers, I went 'screw it' and so the initial level 1 version of Evermore Castle took like a month to build for the sake of my sanity.
> 
> Also I have attempted to format things so Roland's journal entries would be in Lucinda Handwriting font (aka, cursive-y font) but the file manager doesn't allow it. Oh well.
> 
> (Edit note 5/24/18: Rewrote the journal entry to more accurately reflect chapter 3 and the fact that they didn't learn of Doloran until they talked to Niall)


	4. Entry 3 - That's species-ist of you

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roland smiled the small smile that Tani and Evan had started calling the 'Politician Face.' As far as they could tell, he'd use it around advisors, annoying Dellian high society people, Pugnacious' diplomats, and, strangely, when someone's actions or sayings confused him and he wanted to hide the fact.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, uh, I got a couple of unfinished new works sitting around in my writing folder. I want to post them eventually but I am worried about accidentally spamming all the things. Y'all don't mind if the one shots are in a collection if that's all right? :O
> 
> Anyway, have some culture shock.

_Entry 15_

_May 25, 20XX_

_I have only been here for nine weeks yet I still feel like I am adjusting to this world. I thought I could just accept things right off the bat and move on but I did not take in account of culture shock._

_Perhaps I have been finally noticing the smaller details in the grand scheme of things. Like...the accents. It's funny how regional accents here sound so similar to the ones back home. Scottish Greenlings, Posh London from those who originate from Ding Dong Dell, the Cloud Snakes a mix of Cockney and Australian, even Lofty's speech pattern is similar to Welsh. Goldpaw, meanwhile, is like someone tossed in everything they know of the eastern section of the Asia continent and set it down relatively south of Ding Dong Dell and Evermore without taking account of how Chinese culture came to be.  
_

_I have been keeping a separate journal for Evermore's everyday operations but it just now occurred to me that I hadn't asked around about the calendar system around here..._

* * *

Day 73/June 4, 20XX

The initial plans for Evermore Castle (or 'The Fort' as some affectionately called it) was close to completion. The last house was finished a week ago and so most of the new residents have settled in.

The throne room was the first section to be completed in the Castle and it was here where Roland and a couple of tutors would quiz Evan on how running a kingdom works every day before lunch. And then, after lunch, Evan had to listen to several advisors report in on the state of Evermore. It wasn't spoken aloud but many didn't trust Niall with Evermore's finances. Roland quietly appointed a few accountants who were to report to both him and Niall after the Greenling man had twice reported that 'the wee coffers are fine, nae need tae worry' without elaborating on the subject.

The day would go on to observe building progress and then some exploration of the lands surrounding the fledgling kingdom. Turns out there are treasure chests tucked away everywhere with some on top of steep cliffs that can't be climbed. Those they reluctantly left alone while burning with curiosity. What is in those chests that had to stashed in unreachable places so no one could get to?

Today, however, Roland had other plans.

"What is your nation's banner?" he asked Evan, "What will your people unite for?"

"Um..." Evan hadn't thought about it before.

"What is the shared goal or purpose that everyone will work towards?"

"A happy place..." Evan said quietly as he thought it over.

"Something more concrete than that," Roland prodded.

Evan stood in his spot in silence before smiling.

"I know!" he said earnestly, "A kingdom without war or fighting! That's what I want!"

The adults in the room looked at each other, muttering. Evan clenched his hands in frustration. He knew it sounded childish but it was his decision.

"I truly do want to bring an end to war! That's our banner! It has to be!"

Roland at last nodded, "Well...Alright then. If that's your decision..."

"It is!"

Roland smiled the small smile that Tani and Evan had started calling the 'Politician Face.' As far as they could tell, he'd use it around advisors, annoying Dellian high society people, Pugnacious' diplomats, and, strangely, when someone's actions or sayings confused him and he wanted to hide the fact. It happened a couple times when Evan displayed other Grimalkin traits besides the ears and tail. It's like he would forget or something.

 **[** "What are you doing?" Roland had asked one time when he spotted Evan about to lick his own left arm.

"Grooming," was Evan's nonchalant reply.

Roland blinked before looking away as the boy started at the wrist, "Oh. Um. Well, I doubt that's a thing you should be doing in public."

"But there's nobody else in here!" 'Here' being the throne room.

"The throne room is a public place where everyone comes and goes all the time to demand your attention on something. It would be awkward if someone who wanted to speak to you walked in while you were focused on your leg or..."

"But that's what guards are for! And besides, Father and his father before him did this all the time!"

"...Ah," Roland seemed to stammer before doing The Face. "Er...carry on then."

Another time he 'smiled' was when he noticed Evan purring as he tried out a seafood dish made with local fish. That time it was more like a badly disguised 'aw, how cute' smile that earned Roland a few side glances from the others. It is considered a social faux pas to point out one's biological features and greatly so with _royalty_. In his position, it would be social and political suicide. Roland, fortunately, didn't go any further. **]**

Anyway, Evan and Tani noted that he was doing it this time.

"If that's your decision," he restarted, "then one of the things we need to do is gather intel on rival kingdoms. It wouldn't hurt to know whose who in this world."

Well, that makes sense. Evan nodded in agreement.

"I, er, for one don't feel like I know enough about this world yet," Roland added. Evan inwardly cringed as he remembered that he forgot to tell Roland about the Common Tongue Calendar. But how to bring it up without alerting Roland about his diary?

Fortunately, Niall spoke up, "Then ye'll be needin' the library in Goldpaw! They got books, scrolls, and tablets on all sorts of things. I'm sure ye'll find what yer lookin' for."

* * *

Goldpaw's library turned out to be run by an old woman named Boddly who refused to grant anyone access to her 'bookie-wookies' unless the group did her a few favors that turned out to be a week long quest of gathering ingredients for lipstick.

Roland had ended up with a large pile of books focusing on history and language. This earned him a few side glances from other patrons because, honestly, who doesn't know how the Kingsbond works? Its taught in school! There's even a special tab in newer Leafbook viewer models that provides an encyclopedia somehow encoded in it. Granted, those are more expensive...

In the end, the Evermore delegation all returned satisfied and pondering if maybe they could recreate King Ferdinand's feat of uniting the world...

Roland and Batu had first watch that night so Evan, Tani, and Lofty all gathered in the hallway connecting the living quarters of Evan's most trusted ministers and advisors.

"So..." Tani started.

"Ah..." Evan eyed the door to Roland's quarters.

"Oh flippin' heck," sighed Lofty as he pushed open the door, "Here you flippin' go ya peepin' toms."

The main room contained a small end table under a window overlooking the shore line directly in the path of the doorway, a fireplace crackling merrily and enchanted to never let sparks escape it and land on flammable objects to the left with a door a few feet away from it leading to a bathroom, a desk by the right wall with two large volumes of books and some pieces of paper sticking out of a drawer, and a table and chair in the left hand corner with a half-full tea cup. Next to the desk was a simple yet comfortable looking bed.

Evan opened the first book and flipped to a random page.

_Ore traders expected to arrive tomorrow._

_Fishing production risen 5%._

Huh. So that's how Roland's been keeping track of things. Evan waited for Tani to pick up the other book before he set down the former. Tani turned to the latest page.

_Entry 20  
_

_June 11, 20XX / Springsend Day 5_

("Oh he's adding in the Common Tongue calendar now," Tani pointed out.

"Well obviously," huffed Lofty.)

_I feel I have learned a lot in Goldpaw's library. I wonder if I could take books out and bring them to Evermore for a few days. I doubt my duties will allow me to spend a few hours away from the castle every night to read up more on the history and cultures of this world._

_I had solved a mystery concerning myself the other day. I was beginning to wonder if the magic that brought me here also translated foreign languages automatically to English. It wasn't until I was ambushed by a group dogfolk children (puppies? pups?) barking at me until a passing astrologer told me they were demanding that I play with them that I learned, no, I don't have an universal translator applied to me._

("I figured he'd be wondering so I convinced a few wee ones to come after him," said Lofty.

"Why not just magically make him able to speak and understand everything?"

"It would be really flippin' weird if he was suddenly able to make noises a human's vocal chords are known to be unable to do," Lofty pointed out.)

_The calendar system is going to be hard to get used to though. I am not sure if I am doing this right..._

_My phone's battery has climbed down to 55%. Storing it into my arms band doesn't recharge it, unfortunately. Perhaps its because it is not a weapon?_

_The phone contains photos of my family and is the only tie to my world I have left. I don't know what I'll do if it the phone is lost or destroyed. I will have to turn it off and hide it in my arms band until a solution is found._

_Melissa, Sean. I miss you._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And then later the party encounters that guy in Broadleaf who has a French accent, confusing the hell out of Roland even more because there's like five kingdoms and nobody else has spoken French anywhere wtf?
> 
> Anyway, whoops, have some Roland angst. I assure you all that there will be more of that.
> 
> Plot bunnies aren't forthcoming with how the heck the calendar system works and so I may have made yet another horrible mistake. But I might as well own up to it and continue on.
> 
> Edit 9/5/18 - Flashback scene slightly edited to make it 'flow' better.


	5. Entry 4 - This off screen party is totally rad

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> A couple of one shots I was planning to post soon have gained too much power and are now slated to be entities that are multiple chapters long. I may need to work out a posting schedule before I lose control of my life. Either that or wait to post one of them until I hit seven chapters with this story. :O
> 
> There is a big gap of time in between Goldpaw signing the Declaration of Interdependence and the gang heading down to Capstan-Upon-Hull. Mostly because I figured Evan needs to spend some time actually running Evermore in between doing side-quests and causing international incidents. Again, the timeline and the other world calendar system is most likely a terrible idea. Don't be like me. Just wing it.

Day 105/July 5, 20XX

The Declaration of Interdependence treaty gave Evermore a head start in international relations. With Goldpaw as an ally, it provided the fledgling kingdom with trade and protection. Evermore provided Goldpaw with fish and meat not found in the land Goldpaw claimed as its territory and in return, the older kingdom sent a small army to add on to Evermore's defenses.

Which was a great help when the bandit Tyran the Untamed issued a challenge and had recruited other bandit tribes in the area to his cause.

General Gao Jia took one look at the massive throng of bandits marching towards Evermore and huffed.

"Really now, this isn't so bad!" He declared and was unconcerned when an arrow bounced off his armor. He looked down at it and was unimpressed.

"Look at how badly this is made! If this is the best they got, then their blades might as well be dull clubs!"

"So...this is good then?" asked Tani.

"Indeed, with my forces having well-made armor and weaponry and with Mr. Chingis commanding a fleet of air support, we'll have very little trouble," the veteran grinned.

The ensuing battle lasted for two days but in the end Tyran admitted defeat and retreated to parts unknown while swearing to return. Evermore, however, suffered a few casualties and Evan's ears drooped downwards for days as he battled with guilt and grief. It was a harsh lesson on what it meant to be king but Roland, Gao Jia and Batu agreed that this would happen sooner or later. A world without war is not going to happen overnight and Evan has to prove he is willing to back up his ideals.

Eventually, he began smiling again as he interacted with his subjects. His closest advisors sighed with relief as the boy began brightening up the room again.

"If I remembered this right," said General Bai Gon during lunch, who had arrived on the second day of the battle against Tyran with reinforcements to support his old friend Gao Jia, "isn't a grimalkin-based festival coming up?"

"The Feast of Mornstar?" clarified the castle's chef Floyd as he passed a bowl of ramen to the dogfolk veteran.

"That's the one!"

"It's actually celebrated by all of Ding Dong Dell, not just the grimalkin," added Evan, "It typical goes on for four days."

"Mornstar?" asked Roland after taste testing a bowl slated for Evan. The king's tail slowly wagged as he blushed a little in embarrassment.

"There's an old legend about a powerful dragon that was threatening the world," said Gene before Evan could appall his ancestors by talking while eating, "One day, a boy who lived in a village near Ding Dong Dell set out to defeat him. Along the way, he gathered allies and learned spells that weakened the dragon's forces. One of the spells was Mornstar."

"How so?" prodded Roland.

"It's a powerful light-based spell that greatly harms beings of darkness. The only spell stronger than that is supposedly Astra. Alas, both of these spells are lost to time."

"Did the boy defeat the dragon?" asked Tani.

"He did," said Gene, "And when the dragon's nest faded away, the lands surrounding it came back to life. It was said that Shadar's claws could poison anything it touches. The dragon's defeat was celebrated for a week afterwards. To this day, we remember that boy's bravery."

Lofty, upon hearing the word 'Shadar,' spluttered and began ranting in a language no one recognized.

"There's also a different legend involving Mornstar," said Gao Jia over Lofty's indecipherable speech, "but in this one, Mornstar is a sword that belonged to an ancient warrior king whose name has been forgotten."

"Unfortunately, the heroic boy's identity is also lost," Evan pushed his empty bowl to the side, "but it is generally considered that this happened around the reign of my ancestor, King Tom Tildrum the Fourteenth."

"Wasn't that eight hundred years ago?" asked Batu.

"King Tom's reign? Yes."

"Then there may be some truth to this legend," pondered Roland.

"Ond roedd hynny'n chwe deg mlynedd yn ôl!" yelped Lofty as he flailed about, "Sut mae'r byd hwn mor bell o'r blaen na'r llall?"

They all watched the Kingmaker leave the room in bewilderment.

"Er, anyway," said Gene to break the ice, "it is usually held during the third week of Summerstart. That's four days away from now."

"Well, now," grinned Batu, "then let's get ready to party."

* * *

Day 109/July 9, 20XX

The news that Evermore would also be celebrating the Feast of Mornstar spread like wildfire on Leafbook. Many citizens in Ding Dong Dell, when polled, admitted they didn't mind that King Evan and other ex-pats originating from Ding Dong Dell would be participating. It was said that Mausinger diplomatically had no opinion on the matter. Especially when historians pointed out that the scattered tribes of Al Mamoon in the Drylands also had the feast as a holiday before the kingdom was destroyed three hundred years ago by a volcano eruption that in turn awakened the desert variety of fangfish that had slept deep in the sands.

The feast in Evermore on the first day was smaller as people rushed to organize.

Roland had looked around and noted that the Dellians approached the Feast with nostalgia and hope.

At the end of the night, he was seen summoning his phone from his arms band and pressing a button. He then frowned at what he had found before returning the item to his arms band. He smiled neutrally to everyone until festivities came to a close for the day.

The next morning, Tani and Evan sneaked into Roland's suite after he stepped out for an early meeting with a diplomat from Goldpaw.

_Entry 33_

_July 10, 20XX/Summerstart Day 22_

_I fear my enthusiasm for this Festival has taken a hit. For last night I discovered that today is an important holiday for my country. If Eagalia still stands in some way after my less than stellar departure from the world, then I doubt my people would be willing to celebrate the three hundredth birthday of our nation._

_The survivors, if there are any, are most likely blaming me for the circumstances that lead to the peace treaty's failure. And...I agree with them. My time as Senator was lackluster in the end as I grew jaded and doubted that I could actually make any difference. Eventually, I became angry at the direction the world was going and decided to run for President in hopes that I could try to do something._

_It wasn't enough and now I'm here. Alive with my guilt of living while an untold many have not.  
_

_I doubt my post as Chief Consul will ever be enough to redeem myself._

"Roland? Ya still in here? Is that why yer door is partially open?" Batu pushed open the door and spotted Evan and Tani flinching in shock, "And what are you kids doing in here?"

"Uh..." Why didn't they get Lofty to guard the door?

"What you got there?" Batu strode over to see what the kids were reading.

"Really now?" he shook his head, "Snoopin' around behind Roland's back instead of actually askin' what's wrong?"

The kids looked down in shame.

"This is an unkingly thing to do Evan," Batu lectured.

"I-I know..."

"Is that so?" Batu crossed his arms, "And yet ye still did it anyway. I'm rather disappointed in ye."

"I'm sorry."

"And what about ye?" Batu turned to Tani, who cringed under his gaze, "just because yer a friend of his, ye could just enable his bad habits?"

He sighed as he watched the kids guiltily made themselves smaller, "Alright, I did enough I guess. And in case yer wonderin', Chingis and Khunbish did their best to cheer Roland up late last night. He'll be fine soon enough."

"You think so?" asked Evan.

"Yeah, the lad's been grievin' but trust me, he was a lot worse in the beginnin'."

"W-what?" gasped Evan and Tani.

"How?" said Tani.

"Ye notice how less ferocious he's been fighting monsters lately? He's been fighting more smartly by keeping his guard up and attacking when necessary. The Higgledies are happy about that. Means less focusing on healing his foolish hide."

"O-oh." The King looked disturbed by this revelation. How did he miss that?

"Well, what's done is done. Hopefully the past will stop bitin' Roland in the bum every time he tries to enjoy things."

"I-I hope so..."

"Like I said, Chingis and Khunbish are on top of it. Now come on, it's time for breakfast."

And true to Batu's word, Roland was spotted hanging around with the two air pirates along with Gene and Bai Gon during the second night of the Feast of Mornstar. It was clear that he was enjoying their company but there was still a hint of grief in his smile.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Google!Welsh translation: But that was sixty years ago! How is this world so far ahead than the other?
> 
> And then the addition of the festival pushed things back a bit on the timeline lol whoops
> 
> Gene is an OC and not anyone who appears in the game. He's made his spot in this fic and he is not leaving without a fight.
> 
> I only meant to have the angst train stop by last chapter and not come back until I said so. It came back anyway.
> 
> I found it interesting that Mornstar is both a spell and a sword in Ni No Kuni 2. Its possible that this version of Oliver may have tracked down the challis all those years ago and used it as a wand to fight the dragon that I assumed was also called Shadar. With the how the fairy tale is told in the Trials and the fact that the world map is radically different than the previous game's, I figured that perhaps both games are set in different worlds. And heck, Mr. Drippy did say in the beginning of the first game that there are many parallel worlds out there. So...yeah.


	6. Entry 5 - I guess we're level 4 friends now

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Taking up fencing is totally the best way to show up your bullies, amiright

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter was originally going to be longer but for thematic reasons (and writer's block), I had to cut it in half.
> 
> I hope y'all like angst because we're still on the angst train.
> 
> Also, a certain end game spoiler appears at the end of the chapter. Just to warn you now.
> 
> EDIT: 9/3/18 - Fixed the mix up concerning the Mein siblings and made their backstory more compliant to the Citizen's Almanac.

Day 122/July 23, 20XX

Roland was genuinely happier by the end of the Feast. For a week afterwards, his good mood caught on to everyone. It was like the Feast of Mornstar, even though it ended a day shorter this year, lifted the kingdom's morale.

It was soon decided that in order to make contact with the far off kingdoms Hydropolis and Broadleaf, they would need to be reached by boat. Broadleaf would be more difficult considering the large crevices boarding the oceans and continents but hopefully a solution would be found in Hydropolis and its surrounding territory.

But first, they needed an actual boat. Fortunately, the village Capstan-Upon-Hull, a protectorate of Goldpaw, was known to have the best shipbuilders second to Hydropolis. It was located south of Goldpaw and would take at least several days to get there even with travel time reduced by using a trip door closest to Goldpaw and traveling by foot.

They entered the neon-lit kingdom to gather some quick supplies and a quick bite at the Sweet Saffron. It was here when Roland's good mood dipped down.

A dogfolk woman passed by the group, clutching her young son's hand tightly. She seemed to radiate resigned despair.

Her child spotted movement at the edge of his vision and instinctively looked to see what it was. Huh, that blonde kid has grimalkin features. And then it hit him.

He halted in his tracks and pulled at his mother's arm, "Mother! Mother, look! It's King Evan!" To his delight, the heroic King and his entourage turned to see the source of the noise.

"Mother! We should ask if he could help us!" He felt hope rising in his chest.

Mother, instead of agreeing, frowned angrily, "Be quiet, Ro Var! We don't need any help! We'll get through this just fine."

"Is everything alright?" asked the savior of Goldpaw awkwardly.

"There's a monster!" Ro Var began.

Mother sighed in defeat, "Well...if you must know, we recently set out to go to Capstan-upon-Hull but we never reached our destination. We got attacked by a vicious monster midway."

She shook her head sadly, "It seems that the brute likes attacking children and the infirm. It must be too cowardly to pick fights with opponents of its own size. We've asked local monster hunters to take care of it but the..." she started to shake as she fought to hold down her rising despair, "the craven went and hid. I'm sure we're being seen as liars!"

"This sounds quite a cunning foe," said the frowning man with the blue long coat.

"Yeah!" said Ro Var, "it's going around attacking people but nobody can go after it! We ourselves can't do anything to stop it!"

"How are you going to get to Capstan now?" asked the tiny red haired girl.

"We might as well take a boat," said Mother, "it'll take longer but at least the brute wont attack us in the water."

"That's not really a solution," said the man in the coat angrily, "it'll make things harder for everyone else trying to go that way."

"Well, it will move on eventually and once it has, we can travel to Capstan in peace."

The man shook his head, "No, no it wont!" he shouted, catching the attention of others passing by, "It will just continue hanging around and mak everyone miserable!"

"Er, Roland?" the big pirate-y looking guy was starring at Roland in concern.

"I am not going to let that happen!" His sidearm manifested from his arms band and he flicked a finger at the safety, "We don't give in to bullies and we can't let them have their way!"

"Um," said Mother.

"You said it attacked you on the way to Capstan-upon-Hull? We're actually planning to go there," said Roland, ignoring the uneasy glances of his companions were giving him.

"It runs away at the sound of marching soldiers but with a smaller group you'll draw less attention," Ro Var added.

"Ro Var," his mother hissed in warning.

"And with one person?" said Roland in an eerily calm tone. The pirate guy next to him looked as though he was contemplating something, his arms band lightly sparkling.

"That's just suicidal, sir," a passerby shouted.

"We still need to get a couple more supplies too..." said King Evan as he tugged on Roland's sleeve.

"Then I'll scout ahead," Roland declared. He handed the chef payment for his meal and ran off towards the city's exit.

The strange yellow and red Higgledy that was hanging around with King Evan's entourage slapped itself in the face, "That went flippin' well."

"He'll be okay, right?" asked a curious child in the crowd.

"He's not going to get far by himself with all the Bamchillas roaming down south," opined an old man, "they are very territorial when near their nests."

* * *

After buying a few Angel Tears just in case, the reduced group was heading to the exit when they came across Long Mein, an orphaned dog folk boy who they helped out a few weeks before and was invited to join Evermore. He and his sister, Yung Mein, had revealed to be students of Bai Gon but they still had to ask their foster family permission first before they could start preparing for the move. As it turns out, there was a lot of things to do first that hadn't occurred to the Mein siblings, Evan, and Tani before.

"Your dad is so cool!" said Long Mein excitedly.

"Roland's not my dad," Evan denied. Tani started to cough in a way that sounded like "Sure he isn't." Evan looked at her in concern.

"Whatever he is, he is still badass for going after that jerk monster! Rumor has it that its actually a windwyrm!"

"The monster is a f...flipping dragon?" yelped Batu.

"Is that the one that breathes electricity?" asked Tani.

"The really old ones supposedly do," confirmed Evan.

"I'm not allowed to leave the city right now so just to let you know, I'll be cheering you on, Your Majesty!" exclaimed Long Mein. "Oh man, this is so cool."

* * *

Day 125/July 26, 20XX

The search for Roland took three days before they finally found him and it was entirely on accident. By then they have found a nearby trip door, spotted a temple that was sitting on an impossible to climb mountain top, sealed treasure chests, a tainted monster that they decided to ignore because it wasn't directly on the path, and a load of angry Bamchillas.

The group was stopping to rest in an empty field when Batu suddenly stood up and told the kids to stay put.

"Why?" asked Evan.

"Nature calls," was the gruff reply.

"Gross," said Tani, wrinkling her nose.

"If anything happens, ye just shout as loud as you can, alright? I wont be too far," he walked away to an outcropping of rocks.

The boy king and the pirate chief's daughter both got up to look around their surroundings. The Higgledies had split up so Tove and Twinkle followed Roland while Wiff-Waff and Runcible had stayed with the others. The remaining Higgledies seemed unconcerned and were cheerfully playing.

Lofty found himself a rock to stand on and was muttering in his strange language.

"Do...do you think Roland is okay?" asked Evan.

"I don't know," said Tani, "he's been acting weird lately. I know Dad said Roland's been grieving and he was a lot better for a while..."

"I don't get what made him so angry. I mean, lots of people have asked us for help from monsters before."

"Maybe that lady and her son reminded him of his family," Tani pondered.

The family who got left behind in Roland's world. Who may be dead.

...Oh dear.

"Is there anything to make him feel better?"

"Hitting things with a sword doesn't seem to be working so...I'm not sure."

"Kids!" Batu shouted from the distance and they turned to see him jogging towards them, "I'm on my way back now!"

And then, there was a loud furious roar of a windwyrm that seemed to roll through the area like a sonic boom. It was followed by a pained yell and then gun shots.

"Roland!" Oh no, he found it.

They all ran towards the direction of the sounds of fighting. It ceased after the windwyrm roared triumphantly.

Wiff-Waff squeaked and called up a tornado to catch a dazed Roland in midair, Tove and Twinkle barely hanging on to his legs, after whatever force the windwyrm used to attack blasted the man far away. His hair was soaked with blood.

There was another roar as the windwyrm landed in front of the startled kids. Its eyes gleamed maliciously.

An arrow zoomed past its head, barely missing its left eye. Batu roared as he banished his bow and charged in to fight with an axe.

Evan and Tani nodded before they split into opposite directions, Evan towards the windwyrm and Tani towards Roland who was gently brought down to the ground. The Higgledies flailed in panic.

"Alright, alright, calm down, you ninnies!" huffed Lofty.

"Here!" Tani cracked open an Angel's Tear and watched as a green glow surrounded Roland. The big gash on his forehead healed, leaving a bloodied face behind. He'll need to wash that off later once this is over.

Roland groaned as he stirred back to consciousness. The Higgledies cheered.

"Flippin' wake up, sleeping beauty," shouted Lofty in Roland's ear, earning a flinch in the process, "So you can finish your tantrum without the rest of us dying from youer foolishness!"

"What-" Roland sat up and winced as he lifted his head off the ground. Tani handed him a pot of three-leafed Soreaway.

"Eat it," she ordered before charging over to the fight with her spear.

It seemed to take forever to fight the windwyrm but in the end the dragon succumbed to its many wounds and died.

"There..." said Roland, breathing heavily from exertion, "the route from Goldpaw to Capstan-Upon-Hull is safer for travel..."

"Evan, Tani," growled Batu, "cover your ears. Now." The tone of his voice demanded no arguments or questioning his command and so Evan and Tani complied.

Batu stepped up to Roland and whacked the apparently younger man on the side of his head with his hand. Batu ignored the dual gasps of surprise behind him as he watched Roland raise his arms over his head in defense from further hits.

"Ow!"

"ROLAND, LAD!" Batu roared, "WHAT IN THE FLYING FUCK?"

"Batu-"

"DID YE HAVE ANY IDEA HOW WORRIED WE WERE? WE'VE BEEN LOOKING FOR YE FOR THREE BLOODY DAYS, ROLAND. YE JUST RAN OFF WITHOUT ANY THOUGHT ON HOW TO PREPARE FOR A FIGHT AGAINST A FUCKING DRAGON."

"In my defense-"

"YOU WHAT? DIDN'T ASK AROUND LIKE WE DID? YE SAID YE WERE A LEADER OF YER OWN COUNTRY? IS THIS HOW A LEADER ACTS? BY THE FLIPPIN' GODS, MAN, DID YE THINK I'VE BEEN CHIEF OF THE CLOUDSNAKES ALL THIS TIME WITH JUST BRUTE FORCE? NAY, I USED MY WITS, LISTENED TO EVERYONE'S CONCERNS, AND MADE ALLIES."

"You have wits?" muttered Tani who had decided to uncover her ears.

"NOT NOW, TANI!" shouted Batu. He turned his attention back to Roland, who was looking like he wanted the ground to swallow him up, "AND ANOTHER THING, YE'RE NOT JUST THE BLOODY CHIEF CONSUL. HAVE YE EVER THOUGHT THAT THE KIDS SEE YE AS A ROLE MODEL? WHAT IN THE THREE LEVELS OF HELL ARE YE TEACHING THEM, LAD? IS THIS WHAT YE WANT EVAN TO EMULATE FROM YE?"

"N-no," Roland was mortified by the idea.

"THEN USE YER BLOODY BRAIN, LAD."

"Quit calling me that," said Roland petulantly, "I'm 48 for god's sake!"

Batu crossed his arms and raised an amused eyebrow, "Really, now? All I see is a wet behind the ears aviator who just got the idea that he knows everything better than everyone. That the reason no one has tried flying around the world in a low flying plane is because everyone is too chicken crap to do so. Right up until they reach the clouds, faint from the lack of air, and crash land into the ocean. The ones that survive come back embarrassed but at least they've learned something from it."

Roland blushed and Batu laughed and clapped him on the shoulder. The force caused Roland to stumble around a bit.

"Now then, let's get your greenhorn arse to the shoreline so we can get ye cleaned up and don't terrify Goldpaw with the state of yer coat."

"It's, er, that way," Evan pointed nervously to the left as Roland sputtered indignantly. His ears were folded downwards to the point they were almost touching his head.

"Lead on, lad," said Batu cheerfully as the boy king squeaked "Yes, sir!" and obediently motioned everyone to follow.

"I can't believe the cocky little shit is older than me," he muttered under his breath.

* * *

The reformed party headed to the beach in awkward silence. The memory of Batu in a parental rage made everyone to not experience it again. Even Lofty kept his mouth shut when he wanted to tease Roland so badly.

Eventually, Evan's curiosity became too much. He looked up at Roland and said, "Um, Roland?"

"Yeah?"

They waited for a moment for Batu to interrupt but none came. And so Evan tried again, "What made you so angry the other day?"

"Ah..."

"I'd like to know, too," grumbled Batu.

"We've never seen you like that before. Usually you're calm and collected. What happened?"

Roland stopped in his tracks, causing everyone to stop as well. He folded his arms as he stared into the distance. A wind picked up and seemed to dramatically blow on his ponytail and coat.

"It was when the mother had said about letting the monster do what it wants," he eventually said, "it reminded me of when I was around your age."

"Which had to be, what, eighty years ago?" quipped Batu.

Despite himself, Roland smiled and shook his head to compose himself, "I was small for my age and that made an easy target for bullies."

"You? Bullied?" gasped Evan.

"Well yeah. I was some tiny kid who had no easy way to fight them off so I just had to take their punches. I would be coming home from school crying and it would upset my mother."

He can still hear her tired sigh.

_Oh Rolly, not again._

"The worst part was that I could take the bullying but I couldn't stand seeing her like that. I knew I had to do something so one day I picked up my first sword." He concentrated and in a flash, his broadsword manifested from his arms band and everyone took a couple of steps back, "It was just a toy but I didn't care. It was something to practice with and all I could do to defend myself."

He thrust his sword forward, "You can't give in to bullies. You'll just lose something if you just try to put up with it."

He dismissed the sword and shook his head, "So I guess when I heard what that woman said, it just...got to me badly."

Roland then looked sheepish as Batu facepalmed, "Er...sorry, I shouldn't let myself get carried away like that."

Evan shook his head, "It's alright, Roland," he said reassuringly, "I'm glad you're being honest with us."

"Thanks. Now, uh, let's move on before my coat attracts monsters to us."

"Yeah," said Tani, wrinkling her nose, "it definitely needs a wash."

* * *

With Roland no longer soaked in his own blood, it was decided that they should return to Goldpaw to give Ro Var's mother the good news.

"So cool," breathed Long Mein which caused Batu to sigh when they passed the boy by the city entrance.

They found Ro Var hanging around the entrance to the weapon shop.

"Y-you're back!" he exclaimed. He excitedly motioned them to follow him to his home.

"Mother!" Ro Var shouted as they entered, "King Evan's back!"

"We took care of the monster," Tani helpfully added.

There was a clang of a pot landing on a counter coming from the kitchen. She rushed out looking shocked and relieved.

"You don't have to worry, ma'am," said Roland gently, "There's no need for taking the long way around."

"You...You didn't even know us," gasped Ro Var's mother. "Y-you didn't know us a-and yet you helped us."

She wrapped her arms around Roland and sobbed, "Thank you!"

* * *

Doloran watched from his scrying mirror as Roland stammered an answer as Ro Var declared that he wanted to be brave like Roland when he grows up, much to Batu's exasperation.

"Heh." So, his other self's bumbling continues to influence others.

He snapped his fingers and the mirror fast forwarded to later that night. Roland was in his room at Goldpaw's inn, writing into his journal.

_Sometimes it feels like Evan reminds me so much of Sean..._

Doloran frowned. The man is getting attached to this world when he should be fighting with every tooth and nail to restore his own nation. This...substitution will only bring pain in the long run.

No matter, he'll get it soon enough. And then, Roland will see Doloran's way.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And in that moment, Batu becomes everyone's dad. Even Roland's.
> 
> I felt that Sidequest 30 (which is 'The Seeds of Righteousness') would fit in with this story so I did my take on it. I just wasn't expecting Batu to capslock at Roland. :O
> 
> The son in that side quest ended needing a name so I did my best on Goldpaw's naming theme. 
> 
> (The title for this chapter took a long time to think over for some reason. At one point I tried making a Persona reference but ended up wondering what arcana would fit Roland and the gang best. idk I guess Roland would be Hierophant? *shrugs*)


	7. Entry 6 - The Trials of Fatherhood

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which Batu saves the world because the stars said he would.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Just a heads up: As of May 24, 2018 the first five chapters have been edited for grammar and formatting errors and have either received added text, modified paragraphs, or both. The biggest thing is that journal entry numbers have been lowered because I feel that Roland wouldn't be writing into his journal every day. Some days he's most likely feeling so tired he's like 'nah' and goes to bed. So...um, yeah.
> 
> I forgot to mention in my notes last chapter that I was planning to include a battle sequence against the windwyrm but writer's block wouldn't allow it so I had to skip it and put in 'and then it eventually died.'
> 
> Also the rating has gone up to T/Teen. It was something that would've happened eventually but I wasn't expecting it via Batu going Complete Dad.
> 
> Anyway, the angst train has arrived in its destination with something I've been wanting to write when I was planning this nonsense out. Hopefully its not (Muffled 'My Immortal' plays in the distance) levels of angsty. And then like the plot bunnies was like 'do a what if omake scene' and I was like...'*sigh* fine.' If you want to skip it (I wouldn't blame you since THE end game spoiler is in there), press ctrl+f and type in 'sincerely'.

Day 137/August 7, 20XX

The second attempt to travel to Capstan-upon-Hull went off without any other distractions. Fortunately, a power vacuum didn't form after the windwyrm's death and so there wasn't any reports of unusually strong monsters appearing in the area. The already known tainted monsters kept to their own territory and rarely go beyond it.

Thanks to the trip door by the beach, it took a day and a half to reach the village.

From there, they went to rescue a group of young fishermen and shipbuilders from a man-eating monster. Roland, once realizing that the web-like cocoons all over the cave walls of the monster's lair contained people, muttered something about giant spiders. Which was worrying to Evan. Does this mean that Roland's world traded dragons for unnecessarily oversized spiders?

Unfortunately, the grateful ship villagers didn't have enough wood for a ship so the party traveled a part of Niall's forest they've never been to before. They emerged from it a week later with the wood. Since a couple of ship builders were still recovering from the Jelly Queen's toxin, Batu and Roland helped build the ship's frame while Evan and Tani looked on.

On the second day of building, a few younger workers who were rescued the week before deemed themselves well enough to work and took over the rest.

"Ya up north?" said Mr. Wright, "Don't worry, we'll bring ya the ship when we're done. Just make sure ya got yerself a shipyard."

* * *

The party returned to Evermore and consulted with the few architects who weren't assigned to improving the castle or expanding the kingdom's border walls.

"A shipyard, huh?" said one architect, a dog woman, "Y'know, an astrologer once told me that he saw ships on my future's horizon. I wonder if this is what he meant."

"...It's possible," Roland commented.

* * *

Day 141, August 11, 20XX

By the time the shipyard was finished, a few sailors from Capstan arrived with the ship.

"Great, now we can get to Hydropolis!" cheered Tani.

"But that might take weeks, months even," Roland pointed out, "Evermore will be vulnerable if Evan's away for such a long time."

"Ugh," grumbled Evan who wanted to try out the ship.

"What if only some of us go to Hydropolis, find the nearest trip door, and bring Evan there that way?" Tani suggested.

"Tidy!" Lofty agreed, "Works for me!"

"I still want to ride the ship," Evan moaned, ears drooping.

Roland and Batu frowned at the king's childish display before Batu gave in.

"Well...there is that cave nearby we haven't been able to get to. The river moves too fast and we'd just get swept into the sea if we cross it with our own two feet," Batu pointed out.

"So you're saying we should test drive the ship by sailing up a river?" asked Roland.

"Why not?"

"...Okay."

* * *

To Evan's joy (from the brief smell of sea water blowing into his face) and Roland's confusion ("You can't sail a ship up an incline. Ships don't work that way!" "Maybe where youer from they can't, mun!"), the test run was successful.

The cave was home to a few monsters, a treasure chest, a spirit that made an unearthly and unintelligible sound when they tried talking to it, and a tainted monster that radiated power. It was deemed too strong for the group to handle for now, so they left it alone.

They sailed back to Evermore to confront the topic that needed to be discussed: Who would be going to Hydropolis and act as ambassador until they find the means to teleport Evan there?

"I guess I'll go," Roland decided.

"And avoid a month's worth of papercuts?" Batu grinned, "Ye could use a break before ye go gray."

"I was going gray until a few months ago."

"And yer working yerself back to it, lad.

"It wouldn't be so bad if I had some sort of back up," Roland smirked, "do you want to spend hours going over proposed laws and dealing with nobles who have never stepped out of their shiny gated neighborhood until Mausinger took over?"

"Eurgh, nay."

* * *

Unfortunately, Tani's suggestion to consult with Hau Ling didn't provide the results they were looking for.

"A storm is coming. It will be followed by another that leads to catastrophe if you continue with your current path."

"How bad would it be?" asked Roland, skeptical.

"Best case, His Majesty's goal of uniting the world would be delayed. Extreme worse case, I believe the phrase would be 'Rocks fall, everyone dies.'"

A shocked silence fell into the room.

"Blimey," said Tani.

"...Right," Roland was doing the Smile again but this time he included a raised eyebrow.

"The stars have never led me wrong," said Hau Ling calmly, unbothered by the man's disbelief.

Hau Ling would later 'conveniently' pass by Batu in the hallway before dinner that night.

He paused and in a rather ominous tone, he said, "Quell the storm before it could truly start." He then continued walking as if nothing happened, leaving a bewildered sky pirate chief behind.

* * *

Day 142/August 12, 20XX

The next day, Roland was doing his best to prepare for the journey but he felt distracted. It was though he had completely forgot about something.

His companions' nervousness from Hau Ling's reading yesterday wasn't helping matters at all. It just made the uneasiness he was feeling worse.

The sky had decided to join in and slowly turned cloudy before unleashing rain across the Heartlands that lasted for hours before stopping by the late evening.

By then, Roland was getting frustrated. Sleep, at first, came in short bursts but now it was eluding him. No amount of tossing and turning or blanket coverage was helping.

Eventually he gave up on sleep. Maybe he did forget something. A meeting? A report? Oddly specific grimalkin etiquette he accidentally violated? What was it that is keeping him awake at 5 AM?

He climbed out of bed, put on his long coat (in case if something happened in the castle and he needed to look somewhat presentable), and went over to his desk and pulled out his diary first. He frowned. The last entry was three days ago.

He checked the other journal he used for Evermore's daily operations. He decided to make one in case he was incapacitated and someone needed some sort of idea what to expect when taking over his post. It would also provide a window into what the early days of the Kingdom were like.

He checked the date and his heart leapt into his throat. He hurried to his diary and consulted the calendar pages he copied from his phone.

Oh.

Oh god, please no.

He summoned his phone from his arms band and turned it on.

The phone, once it finished booting up, displayed the date.

* * *

Day 143/August 13, 20XX

Evan was awakened by the faint sound of someone shouting wordlessly and the much louder sound of Lofty jerking awake and yelping "What the flip?"

"W-what?" Evan's wand manifested into reality and he held it close to his chest. He crept to the entrance of his apartment and opened the door to find Tani with her arm raised as if she was about to knock.

"Did you hear that?" she asked.

Evan nodded, "Yeah."

"Yer okay kids?" Batu asked as he strode over to them. He was more alert and wielding an axe.

Niall opened his door, stepped out, looked around, and spotted Batu.

"Ah, good, yer on the case." He went back inside his apartment and shut the door.

"Right, get yer least threatening weapon out and start knocking," Batu said.

"At this hour?" asked Evan.

"Better awake and ticked about yer ruined beauty sleep than dead."

Not many people resided in the castle. Other than Roland, Tani, Evan, Batu, and Niall, there was a couple of nobles who for some reason wanted to live in the castle (presumably to properly zoom in on Roland if they spot him during the day and present their daily complaint about whatever it is they want to complain this time) and the occasional visiting ambassador (that particular guest suite hasn't been used in two weeks).

"What was that just now?" asked Lady Penelope when they knocked on her door.

"We were just making sure if you're safe," said Evan.

"I am, thank you. Good night." She shut the door.

The former Earl of Summerlands was more helpful.

"I do believe it came from Mr. Crane's rooms," he said, whiskers twitching in annoyance, "do tell him to keep it down when he wakes up from night terrors again, if you please."

He closed the door, missing how gradually Batu's face paled as he recalled Hau Ling's words.

"Ah hell," he groaned. Shit, he should've checked him first. Sure the older-younger man has the means and skills to defend himself but he hadn't came out to investigate at all.

He ran over to the door leading to Roland's suite and loudly knocked, "Roland? Everything all right in there?" No answer.

Batu tried the door knob but found it locked.

Before he could alarm the kids and the other residents, Lofty took matters into his own tiny hands.

"Hang on a mo', mun," he snapped his fingers, "Try again."

Batu turned the knob and the door opened. "Roland?" No answer came.

The room was mostly dark save for the dying embers from the fireplace and the small streaks of light coming from the window as the sun began rising. Evan muttered something and a small ball of light appeared on the tip of his outstretched wand. He held it up as a torch and trailed after Tani as she looked for a match to light a candle.

Candle lit, she handed it to her father.

"Roland?" he called out. No answer.

"Is he alright?" said Tani.

"No idea. C'mere Evan, lad. I could use more light." Evan stepped closer to Batu.

With the additional light, it was obvious that Roland wasn't in the room.

"Crrrrikey," said Lofty.

"He's...he's gone," the fur on Evan's ears and tail seemed to poof up by themselves.

"Where is he then?" Tani frowned in worry.

"Let's find out," said Batu gravely, "search for clues."

Unfortunately, all the room and the attached bathroom could initially tell them was that bed was unmade, the tie to hold up Roland's hair (which Batu picked up) was found on the sink, and his coat was gone. As funny as the idea of a partially dressed Roland wandering around Evermore castle while scandalizing Lady Penelope and the Earl sounded, these clues could mean anything.

Evan began to worry. What if Tyran or one of his goons broke in to the castle? What if it was an assassin hired by Mausinger? What if it was Doloran even though he hasn't been spotted anywhere since the trial in Goldpaw?

Batu, meanwhile, had the sense to notice that the diary was open. He looked into it, read what was in the page, and calmly walked over to the window. Lofty followed him in curiosity and hopped onto the shelf in front of the window.

"Kids," Batu announced, "do not, and I mean it, _do not_ tell anyone what's happening to anyone unless I say so."

"Should we let Khunbish and Chingis know?" asked Tani.

Batu shook his head, "I'll let them know if I need the back up."

He headed to the suite's entrance, "I'll be back soon. Go back to bed if ye want." He quietly closed the door. They heard the faint sound of teleportation.

Curious, Tani and Evan ran over to the desk where the diary rested.

The latest entry was written as if it was from a shaking hand.

_Yesterday was my son's birthday_

To the preteens' horror, they can see a wet spot on the page.

* * *

Batu reappeared outside of Evermore. He headed towards the beach. The sunrise provided the light he needed to avoid obstacles.

The only creatures that would still be up are some breeds of petalias and the skeleplasms. Judging from the sounds of roars and clashing swords, the skeleplasms are too busy dueling each other to even think of coming near Evermore. The manticores and the whamsters would be waking up soon. Who knows what the local bandits are doing.

Sitting on the shore line with his arms wrapped around his knees was Roland. He occasionally sniffed as he gazed out into the sea. His untied hair was uncombed and thus seemed to go in many tangled directions.

Batu sat down next to him. He didn't say a word and stared at the ocean as well. The lad would talk when he's ready.

After what seemed like an eternity (ten minutes actually), Roland finally spoke.

"Have you had that feeling that you've forgotten something really important and you only remember it just in time for it to bite you in the ass?"

"What did ye forget?" asked Batu, knowing the answer.

"My son, Sean," Roland began, his voice cracking, "He turned eleven yesterday. But..."

He shuddered, as if repressing his grief, "He's not here. He's...back home. Back in Eagalia."

Batu nodded, recalling what Roland told him what his country was like. No wonder the man could handle politics so easily when he came already experienced in herding Porcs.

"I...I don't know if he's still alive," Roland said miserably, "I don't know if my wife and my son are still alive. They...they were also heading to Yorkton that day. We planned to have dinner as a family in the city after the treaty was done with."

He pulled his phone out of his coat pocket. In the top right hand corner, you could see a small message reading "34% battery life remaining." Roland ignored it and pressed a square that had an image of a portrait in its center. Many small images appeared on the screen. Roland pressed on one of them and it filled the entire screen.

It was a picture of a boy with messy dark brown hair. He was smiling as he held a creature that resembled a dogfolk child in his arms.

"This is Sean," said Roland, "he got very ill when he was younger. Eventually he was diagnosed with a disease I'm not sure occurs in this world too.

"He was in and out hospitals a lot. The illness made sure that his body couldn't fight off any other diseases as well as it should. Even when he was deemed cured three years ago, he got sick easily after that."

Roland ran a finger across the screen and the picture changed to reveal Sean, a woman with light brown hair who Batu assumed to be Roland's wife, and a man with stress induced lines on his face and gray streaked hair who resembled Roland. All three wore clothes that resembled the one Roland wore at the trial.

...Wait a minute.

"Is that ye?" asked Batu.

"I've told you I'm 48, didn't I?" Roland smiled a little.

"Hearin' it is one thing," Batu huffed, "but seein' it? That's different."

Roland laughed and Batu felt elated to see his efforts in cheering him up were working.

Roland pointed to the woman, "this is my wife, Melissa. The..." His mood darkened again, "the dinner after treaty talks was her idea."

He screwed his eyes shut as he confessed, "I'm a terrible father. I love Melissa and Sean yet I focused on politics. Sometimes I was so busy I didn't pay any attention to Sean at all. He understood what a burden I put on myself...but that's not fair to him. He's at an age where he needs a father to explain things to him. A...role model.

"Instead, I'm here and I'm afraid to find out if there's a way to go back. And if I do go back, what's waiting for me?"

Roland shook his head, "I can't go back just yet. Evan still needs my guidance."

"And who is Evan to ye?"

"He's..." Roland looked back to the sea. The sky was various shades of purple as dawn arrived. The diurnal monsters are most likely waking up and harassing travelers now. "He's a kid who was given the responsibility over a whole kingdom before he was even done grieving his father's death. I was some stranger who just materialized into existence in his room and had no reason to protect him from Mausinger's troops. But I did it anyway. I chose to stay with him because he needed guidance after he decided to make his own kingdom the next morning when I didn't have to."

"Sounds like ye chose to be his dad," Batu commented, "What would ye have done if he chose to live life like a commoner?"

"I...I don't know. He had very little idea of what life is like outside of the castle. His combat knowledge came from the occasional spars. The hedgehounds outside of Ding Dong Dell would've taken him down in seconds.

"And I can't be a father and an advisor to him. Conflict of interest you see. And people would've assumed I was using him as a puppet while I ruled in the shadows or something. It's not fair to him. And it would be an insult if I was using him to replace Sean."

"Yer not replacing Sean, Roland," said Batu gently, "if ye had, would ye have remembered his birthday? Would you be leaking from yer eyes right now? Hells, ye would've gone and found yerself a new girl by now."

"I can't do that to Melissa!"

"See? Not replacin'. Yer not ready for that yet. My Yula died six years ago and I still can't bear to give Tani a new mother. Sure, Yula'll probably knock my ass off a cliff if she found out I decided on a daft reason like that. Besides I have a whole village and a kingdom's worth of idiots with swords to look after. Dating can wait. Nobody will think less of ye if ye refuse offers from all directions."

Roland nodded as he loosened his grip on his legs, "You're right. Hell, it's my damn life. If I want to all work and no play that's my problem."

"That's the spirit lad. Although, a break once in a while wont hurt ye."

"Of course."

"So, ye got the worst hand dealt to ye. Yer allowed to grieve for gods' sake. Stew in it but don't let it stew ye or ye'll go mad. Are ye goin' mad?"

"I'm feeling stupid for worrying you. Oh god, Evan-"

"He'll understand as much as a...what is he, nine?"

"Eleven."

"As much as an eleven year old can process that adults have problems too." Batu paused before rubbing his forehead.

"Welp, hopefully puberty will be kind to him."

"...Oh god."

* * *

They talked some more until Roland decided to face the music and sneak back into the castle to be properly presentable. As much as he wanted to shock the ex-Earl with his impropriety, it would unfortunately reflect badly onto Evan.

Batu instead headed to the dining room. He saw Hau Ling heading in the opposite direction, his long robes hiding his movement so it looks like he's hovering like a ghost.

"You did well," he smiled, "the future is much less darker now."

"Er," said Batu, "yer welcome?"

* * *

[OMAKE - MEANWHILE IN THE DARKEST TIMELINE (END GAME SPOILERS AHEAD)]

Evan awoke as he heard a loud noise. He laid under the covers, waiting for a repeat but it never came. He fell back to sleep.

Meanwhile, Roland stared out to the ocean, tears pouring down his face. His son! His only son! How could he let himself forget about Sean? How could he forget about Melissa?

How could he leave them behind?

"I...I want to go home," he declared to the ocean and the sunrise, "but I don't know how."

"I could help you," said a voice, startling Roland.

"Who...?"

"I am Doloran," said the sorcerer as he materialized into existence next to Roland, "and I may know the way."

"Why should I accept your offer?" asked Roland, defensive.

"Because, I," Doloran removed his mask, revealing a face Roland knew all too well, "am like you."

"W-what on earth?"

"I, too, lost my nation, my love, and my people," Doloran declared, "I would do anything to bring them back."

"What does this have to do with me?" said Roland.

"Because I know what you desire. Don't you want to see your nation reborn?"

"Yes, but -"

"Don't you want to see your family again?"

"I-"

"Don't you want a second chance to fix all the mistakes you've made?"

"I..." Roland looked down, "I do."

"I can help you, Roland. I can help you get what you desire."

"What's the catch?" Roland demanded.

"I will need your assistance. You see, my nation and Kingmaker are trapped. My only solution so far has been studying fragments of kingbonds." He held up a hand before Roland could protest, "Don't fear for young King Evan. His Kingsbond is too new and his Kingmaker is limited in what he can do. It has no use to me. But the other nations...they suffer from their ruler's actions. Hydropolis stagnates because its queen fears death and change. Broadleaf is working itself to collapse. Ding Dong Dell...well, you've heard the rumors, haven't you?"

Roland nodded, "I have."

"Then you know that all are destined to be judged by the Kingmaker. I've seen it happen before. All is left of the kingdom of Al Mamoon are scattered tribes who blame each other for bringing destruction. I am trying to save these nations! Believe me, I am, Roland!"

The white-haired look alike sounded sincere in his words. It reminded Roland of when he was young and how he wanted to change things. Before the reality of politics came crashing down.

"I believe you," said Roland.

"Then will you help me rescue my kingdom? Rescue the world?" Doloran held out a hand.

"I..." Roland looked back at Evermore. Yes, the others would be angry. Yes, Evan would be hurt.

But Evan is not alone anymore.

He'll understand.

Roland returned his gaze to Doloran, "I will help you." He shook his double's hand.

"Thank you," Doloran smiled, relieved. "Now, let's get going."

"Of course." His logs for Evermore's daily operations would be most helpful for his replacement, whoever they may be.

Both men vanished from the beach.

The dawn-lit sky was a deep blood red.

When Evan woke up, the castle was in an uproar. He then learned that the Chief Consul was missing and all they find was a message in his diary.

It reads: _I must go. The world needs my help. I am sorry but you will all understand someday._

_Sincerely,_

_Roland Crane, former Chief Consul_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Aaaand there you have it. 3,500 or so words of melodrama, hooray!
> 
> Fortunately for Roland, there aren't giant fantasy genre spiders in his world. But there is the platypus.
> 
> Dad Batu strikes again. Originally I planned to include Chingis, Khunbish, and Bai Gon in the beach scene but they never answered my calls. Rude.
> 
> Had to rewrite the investigation in Roland's room when I realized I was describing it completely different than what I written down before whoops. Consistency, what's that?
> 
> (Although, given how Evermore looks like when you bring it up to levels 3 and 4, why wouldn't everyone have bigger floor plans?)
> 
> Anyway, I know I once said I'll post another work after I post chapter 7 of this fic but like its 4000ish words so far and I keep editing and writing more to it and I have no idea when I'll release it into the wild. Hopefully before my wrists get really angry at me. orz
> 
> See y'all next time.
> 
> (Feel free to yell at me for the surprise edits on chapters 1-5 here or at my tumblr)


	8. Entry 7 - Summer Fun No Longer Exists

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest, the plot's direction from 'history textbook using a few journal entries and memolith transcripts from the early days of Evermore' to the '5 Times X Happened and 1 Time Y Happened' format to 'Evan (and sometimes Tani) keeps reading Roland's Diary' to 'Slice of Life Stuff Between Major Events with an obligatory journal entry' until we get to 'the previous thing but also how Roland tries to deal with delayed grief in private' is something I didn't expect to happen.
> 
> To clarify, the alternate ending scene in last chapter is considered non-canon to this story. Mainly because it requires some out-of-characterness for it to actually happen.
> 
> Speaking of OOC, I really hope I'm getting Roland's characterization right orz

Day 145/August 15, 20XX

Tani and Evan waited for two days before cornering Roland in his room in the evening. He looked up from his table where he was drinking tea.

"Good evening, Evan, Tani," he set down his tea cup and got up from his seat, "Is there something the matter?"

The answer he was given was two children rushing into his room and hugging him.

"We wanted to know if you're okay now," said Tani.

"You gave us quite a scare the other day," added Evan.

"What happened?" asked Tani, pretending that they didn't know the truth.

Roland couldn't bend down when there's two pairs of arms around his waist so he settled on placing a hand on the back of each preteen's head. He smiled as they both looked up at him with curiosity and concern.

"Yeah, I'm okay now. I'm sorry for scaring you," he said, "not my greatest moment, huh?"

"That's alright," Evan smiled reassuringly as he and Tani let go of the man.

"I..." Roland began, "Well, it's kind of like this: it turns out trying to keep the circumstances that brought me here in a box inside my mind that I could just peek inside once in a while wasn't a good idea." He held his chin as he thought the right words to say, "Sometimes...it just breaks out on its own."

"Like the other day?"

"Yeah," Roland nodded, "I...It brought a reminder that I have people dear to me."

He was frowning as he seemed to look at the wall as if it could bring him answers, "Back home, I have a family who may be waiting for me. I still haven't found a way to return to my world and there's a chance that I'll never find one."

"Did you -" Tani began but Roland shook his head, "I've tried Goldpaw's library. All I found was that there used to be a spell called Gateway but its incantation has been forgotten for centuries. Since then, the paths between worlds the spell accesses are closed off."

"And that is why you must live in the now before you go mad," said Lady Penelope at the doorway. She watched as all three looked up at her in surprise of her sudden presence.

She huffed, "My apologies for eavesdropping, but you really should've kept the door closed if you didn't want anyone to listen in. You're lucky it was me instead of Timeaus. The Earl is an even worse gossip than I am."

Tani and Evan cringed. They forgot about closing the door in their haste in cheering Roland up.

"I actually came here for a proposition," said Lady Penelope as she stepped over the threshold, "I have heard that there are plans to sail to Hydropolis in hopes of securing an alliance. Since it will take several weeks at best, Your Majesty," she briefly raised her hand to point to Evan, "it would make Evermore vulnerable if you're gone for too long. And you, Mr. Crane, have foolishly not assigned yourself a junior consul or several to decrease the burden you piled on yourself to the point you're the only one keeping this Kingdom running until His Majesty is old enough to tax his mind with the complicated elements of Kingship. If you were to die or vanish on the way to Hydropolis, everything would be thrown into chaos."

"So what should we do?" asked Tani, placing her hands at her hips.

"I should go as Ambassador," declared Lady Penelope, "Your Majesty gets to learn through experience while Kinging, the Chief Consul can keep an eye on him, and I can visit the place my ancestors emigrated from about three hundred years ago. I suppose Mr. Batu can be my bodyguard."

"Whose guardin' who now?" asked Batu as he peeked into the doorway.

"I've decided to represent Evermore as part of the expedition to Hydropolis and you," the Lady stepped towards Batu in a rather ominous manner, "shall be my bodyguard. Goodness knows what is lurking in the ocean."

"Yes, ma'am," said Batu, who knew not to argue.

"I'd like to go, too," Tani piped up, "Two sharp-eyed bodyguards is better than just one, right?"

Lady Penelope eyed the petite girl with some disbelief before she finally relented, "All right, you can go, too."

* * *

Day 148/August 18, 20XX

The ship set off two days later. Evan watched as the ship carrying the self-appointed Ambassador, Batu, Tani, and a few sailors disappeared over the horizon and sighed in disappointment.

"Don't you worry youer tail about it, mun," said Lofty, "Someday we'll be on that ship sailin' the great big blue."

"Yeah, I guess so," huffed Evan.

"But for now," said Roland, "we have work to do."

* * *

It turned out that work involved Roland throwing Evan close to the deep end where he spent two weeks approving projects such as researching spells and which buildings they can afford to build while updating the castle and border walls. And sometimes he was having to reject ideas for the Kingdom such as a casino ("That's the third time this month, Niall." "I know, just want to see if yer payin' attention, Yer Majesty.") or a battle arena ("W-why?!" "...Because it would be fun?" "We don't have enough healers for that!").

It was tiring and a bit frustrating and the summer heat that descended upon the region wasn't helping. It also made Evan wonder how in the world his father found the time to interact with his son on really busy days. And wasn't Roland a leader of his country as well? He must've made time too.

Fortunately a distraction appeared in the form of Gao Jia with a missive in hand.

"Goldpaw wishes to host a mock battle with Evermore."

"A mock battle?" said Roland.

"Think of it as an exercise to test how well your troops can work together and see how well your leadership skills are improving," and then the veteran winked with his nictitating membrane, which Roland hadn't noticed but Evan, who was raised learning about the world's races, did. He then knew what Gao Jia was doing.

"I guess..." decided Evan, trying to not sound too enthusiastic about such a distraction, "we can do that. When do they wish to host it?"

* * *

Day 165/September 4, 2018

Three days later, Evan was doing his best to stoically commanding his troops in battle in the surprisingly cooler Eider Downs but it was hard to not notice how his tail swished back and forth, giving away his true feelings about the matter.

"The boy seems a bit bloodthirsty," noted Chingis as he and Roland watched the battle unfold.

"Er," said Roland.

"He may be a king but he is still a kid, y'know."

"Yes, he is," agreed Roland, who had the sensation of feeling the other man's judgemental stare getting into his skin.

And then cheers erupted from the field as Goldpaw's general yielded to the forces of Evermore.

"Evan, we did it!" shouted Muriel.

"W-we did!" said Evan, a bit dazed, "Hooray!"

Okay, yeah, maybe two weeks of non-stop decisions was a bit much for his age.

* * *

Later that night, Evan watched as the former Earl huffed while Chingis and Khunbish dragged Roland away to 'learn how to speak like an Air Pirate because why not.' Lord Timeaus strode back to his apartment and Evan waited until the coast was clear.

He quietly opened Roland's door, crept to the desk and opened the diary.

_Entry 43_

_September 4, 20XX/Summersrage Day 16  
_

_Perhaps everyone was right and that a sudden deluge of duties was too much for Evan. I hadn't realized how stressed he has gotten. Yes, Evan knew what a burden he put on himself when he chose to form his own Kingdom but there are limits._

There was a line indicating that Roland was about to write more before he was interrupted by Lord Summerlands. Evan carefully put the book down to its original position and quietly left the room, feeling awful for making Roland feel so guilty.

His own chambers was lit by torches as the fireplace would only make the already warm room even hotter. He noted the night shirt and shorts on his bed. They appeared to have been made with a lighter material. Thank goodness that Persha was right on top of things.

Evan had just finished changing clothes when he heard a knock on his door.

"Evan?" called Roland from the hallway.

Evan crossed the room and opened the door to allow Roland in, "Oh, good evening Roland." He noticed that the older man had his blue long coat in his arms, revealing the black thick turtleneck underneath. Evan winced as he smelled the thick scent of sweat.

"Good evening," Roland returned. He stepped inside and adjusted his hold on the coat.

"I want to apologize," he began, "I was attempting to ease you into the harder parts of Kingship but it's been pointed out that I have gone about it the wrong way."

"It's alright," said Evan. Roland shook his head.

"No, it's not. I hadn't realized how tired and stressed you've gotten lately. It must've been worse with how hot its been, yeah?"

"Do your summer months get hot like this?"

"In some places its even worse. It can reach temperatures as high as 130 degrees."

Evan gasped, "130 halzig?" It gets as hot as boiled water?

Roland blinked, "Halzig? Oh, that's a new one to remember..." He shook his head, "Anyway, I wanted to tell you that starting tomorrow your duties will be reduced - not too much though," he said quickly as Evan began to protest, "just enough for you to decide to when to take breaks. Because even Kings do need to take breaks at some point in the day. People wont think less of you for it."

"Oh, thank you," said Evan before yawning. His pointed teeth seemed more prominent in the torch light.

"My apologies, I didn't mean to keep you up," Roland said. He seemed reluctant to retreat to the door as if he wanted to apologize some more or something. "Good night."

* * *

[MEANWHILE, IN THE OCEAN]

Tani and Lady Penelope sighed as Batu audibly groaned outside of the cabin for the thirtieth time when the ship rocked again. The Air Pirate chief has been feeling seasick for most of the journey so far.

Lady Penelope waited until she could determine that the ship wont rock again. "Now where were we?" She found the needle and resumed sewing the ribbon on the dress she was making.

Tani, who really wanted to scratch her nose, hoped the Lady's project was worth it to play mannequin for this long.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fantasy Calendars are a good idea until you realize you need to name months that aren't about the start or end of seasons whoops.
> 
> Turns out we're mid-way chapter 5 plot wise and Roland's been here for nearly six months. It took me this long to remember that certain aspects of seasons are indeed a thing and wow that uniform must be hot.
> 
> Originally the last scene with Roland and Evan was going to end with Roland about to tuck Evan into bed until he's like 'wait shit conflict of interest error abort mission *flees*' and there's already too much angst in here so out that goes.
> 
> Fun fact, dogs do have three eyelids and the third one is called the nictitating membrane. What it does is to protect the eyes from dirt and to keep them from drying out. So yeah, dogfolk characters would logically have this as well.
> 
> For some reason the Earl needed a personal name so I went with Timaeus because why not. Also looked up how to address an Earl. Since Timaeus was the Earl of Summerlands until the coup, he'd be addressed as Lord Summerlands. Now he's...most likely still Lord Summerlands or just Lord Timaeus.
> 
> Will Evan ever actually spend more than a few hours on that boat? Find out next time to see if he actually does.


	9. Interlude - I'm on a boat (and I want off)

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> And now for something different....The Boat: 1; Batu: 0

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> For this chapter, we're gonna do something completely different: Focus on Batu and the joy of seasickness.
> 
> Once again the calendar system is biting me in the butt and my only explanation is 'uhhhhhhhh, the worlds aren't complete synced up I guess.'

Day 5 (Day 153/August 23, 20XX/Summersrage 4)

It's been five days since they have sailed off to Hydropolis and Batu was beginning to regret this adventure. The 'test drive' on the river failed to account for several things.

One: The fact that there's practically nothing but water for miles. They lost sight of the mountains near Evermore two days in. Batu was beginning to miss seeing signs of land already.

Two: Seasickness is a thing. By the gods, why is it a thing? And can the sea brained swabs for sailors stop snickering at him already? Batu's people are air pirates! Their thing was the bloody _sky_! They brought danger and excitement from above!

The only bright spot is that his daughter was unaffected by this affliction. Instead, Tani looked very bored.

Three: There are at least the same amount of monsters lurking in the ocean as there are on land or perhaps even more. Fortunately, this proved to be a great distraction for the constant nausea Batu had been feeling.

Four: Lady Penelope is a terrible fighter with theoretical knowledge of magic that was rarely put into practice and therefore did little damage to any attacking monster. To be fair, she knew what she was getting into when she signed up for the boat ride to Hydropolis and she did request bodyguards. She was honest about that. She also confided that Lord Summerlands (whose given name turned out to be Timaeus, who knew?) was even worse and hopefully whoever Mausinger had appointed to take up the title at least knew how to swing at least a knife in your general direction.

"Surely, yer just exaggerating," said Batu, feeling like he should come to the man's defense since he's not here to do it himself.

Lady Penelope merely stared back, "Am I?" Her tone spoke of experience and left everyone who was on deck wondering what exactly happened in the disgraced nobles' rush to safety.

At the moment, the Lady and Tani are in the cabin discussing something along the lines of what life was like before Evermore. Batu hadn't been paying attention to what has been said. The sea demanded more of his attention in so many ways.

It was probably something he was meant not to hear anyway.

* * *

Day 9 (Day 157/August 27, 20XX/Summersrage 8)

On the ninth day, Batu discovered that the secret cabin conference had to do something with making a dress in case of Evan getting the idea that Evermore should host a fancy castle party.

That...that was actually something that hadn't occurred to Batu. How many of those did Evan attend when he was a wee lad? Is this one of those things that should be brought up at some point? Can the Kingdom actually afford a party fancier than a festival brought upon by homesickness right now?

Well, this is probably a future thing. And the future meant...Tani attending these events all dolled up for all to see.

And...oh gods, there will be rich spoiled landlubbers for boys there!

But...so will some of his trusted men who could watch out for her. Discreetly and just in case she needed back up.

...In case her spear didn't spell it out the first time. Because she can look after herself. Yes.

* * *

Day 17 (Day 165/September 4, 20XX/Summersrage 16)

Batu wasn't sure what is going on in Evermore during his absence but he had the feeling that Roland had fumbled his duties a bit for the past few days. Hopefully somebody was there to get the Chief Consul back on track.

And hopefully it wasn't a social cue he missed or fumbled again. Like the time he accidentally insulted a well-known bandit chief because he forgot to bow first and _then_ bump fists. Roland instead did it the other way around. Fortunately, the chief laughed and appreciated that Roland had done it without fear and was ballsy enough to act like he meant to do that.

Roland later told Batu that no, he wasn't pretending and was actually relieved that the result was safer travels around that tribe's forest hideout near Wiggly Way.

* * *

Day 26 (Day 174/September 13, 20XX/Summersrage 25)

Maybe Roland had the right idea of keeping a diary. Nobody will ever know that Batu was excited to see a seagull for a moment before he realized how thin it looked. Land wasn't near by yet. The poor thing got separated from its migrating flock.

They all watched as a Jelly Queen rose from the ocean surface and knocked the bird from the sky.

* * *

Day 30 (Day 178/September 17, 20XX/Summersrage 29)

_Dear head diary: What is land?_

Perhaps he imagined this whole 'land' thing. Maybe he hallucinated all 36 years of his life as some kind of landlubber because he couldn't handle the rage in his stomach. Its been getting easier now on that front. It just gets worse when there's a storm.

The few times Lady Penelope actually tried to fight has been paying off. Now the water-based Petalias are looking more seriously injured after a fireball to the face by the time Tani or Batu come to the Lady's rescue.

* * *

Day 34 (Day 182/September 21/Summersend 2)

"It is done!" declared Lady Penelope from inside the cabin.

"Can I see?" called Batu.

"It's going to be a surprise for everyone!" Tani shouted back.

Well, that sounded ominous.

_Dear head diary: My little girl is going to have the best damn spear in the whole damn ballroom. Where can we find the best damn weapon maker in the world?  
_

* * *

Day 40 (Day 188/September 27/Summersend 8)

The very large whirlpool of certain death turned out to be a good sign. For nearby it was the main city of the Kingdom of Hydropolis. It took a couple of hours to carefully navigate around the whirlpool and sail to the city.

As they approached, everyone couldn't help but notice the large eye that's watching over Hydropolis turn its attention to the approaching boat. The ensuing feeling that they're being watch didn't help quell the overall nausea Batu had been feeling. By now Batu accepted that perhaps the endless sea and the now less frequent emptying of his stomach as a fact of life. This has been his life now and the artificial island holding up Hydropolis doesn't really count as land.

The moment the ship docked and was secured, Batu stumbled out and wheezed as he felt another wave of nausea erupting from daring to move so fast.

"To be honest," said one of the sailors, "you should really get that checked out because I have never seen somebody fail to find their sea legs for this long."

"Eurgh," came Batu's intelligent reply. He waited a few minutes for it to pass before following after Tani and Lady Penelope. They stopped at a random spot at the top of the stairs.

"Well now," said the Lady as she felt the empty tile, "this trip door hasn't been used in a long while. It might not remember us." She tapped a few times on each side of the tile and said "Portia!"

A blue light flickered into existence before vanishing. There was a faint outline of a circle on the tile.

"It's ready to go," she declared.

That was all Batu needed as he stood in the circle and said "Evermore." He vanished.

* * *

Batu reappeared on a beach overlooking the ocean. He turned around and saw the now stone walls of Evermore gleaming in the sun from a distance that he could've sworn was a bit farther away.

Wait.

This is _land_.

Solid land!

A few patrolling border guards appeared when they heard his cheerful hollers. One of them took the initiative and ran back to the castle.

The next thing Batu knows, he's lying on the sand waiting for his stomach to stop protesting and Roland and Evan are peering down at him. Roland (did his coat ever look bright like that?) looked amused while Evan (whose hair seemed...shorter somehow) was concerned.

"So, how's the sand down there?" quipped Roland. He had the audacity to smirk.

 _Dear head diary: Roland ye little shit. Just ye wait, its going to be_ yer _turn on that godsforsaken ship. And ye will feel agony in yer guts all the damn time._

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter will resume our regular shenanigans.


	10. Entry 8 - The Scandalous Beginnings of the International Roland Crane Fan Club

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Fanservice: The Chapter

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now we're back to our regularly scheduled shenanigans.
> 
> In hindsight, I should've written this first and then post Batu's adventures with seasickness. Oh well.
> 
> I've noticed that I messed up on the dates last chapter. Its been fixed.
> 
> There wont be a diary entry in this chapter but Roland is the main POV character here so...it evens out I guess?
> 
> Edit 9/4/18 - This chapter has been extended a bit

Day 169/September 8, 20XX

Roland lasted three more days before he admitted defeat and went over to the armor outfitters on the fourth day to purchase a lighter long coat. Fai Do took one look at the sweaty human and nervously scolded him for not taking care of himself in this weather. This brought a curious Gene over and the former Dellian guardsman joined in once it was discovered that Roland was still wearing the thick black turtlenecked undershirt.

"How are you not dead from heat stroke, Roland?" Gene asked.

"Luck and the occasional proximity of swords imbued with ice?" Roland offered.

"Luck can run out sooner or later, sir," said Fai Do as he examined the coat, "wow, this is pretty faded."

"It was fading when I got it." Though now it even looked more old.

"You're the Chief Consul aren't you? Shouldn't you be wearing something more befitting your role?"

"I do have the clothes I was wearing on my back from my country when I arrived in Ding Dong Dell seeking refuge," lied Roland as he remembered that he never told Gene of his origins. "The coup happened on the first day of the job."

Fai Do whistled sympathetically, "Sounds like Lady Luck gave you a bad roll."

"Ah...well, if I hadn't been there then who knows what wouldn't happened to the King."

"True," nodded Gene, "And we Dellians who remain loyal to the Tildrum line thank you. Now let us repay you by not having you collapse in the summer heat under our watch."

"Do you have any ideas of what you'd like?" asked Fai Do.

Roland shrugged helplessly, "To be honest I like that coat."

"Ah, homesickness," commented Gene, "I know how you feel. Well, perhaps we can make a new one with lighter materials. But first, maybe we should take measurements."

"Er, yes, it has been feeling a bit tight lately..."

Fai Do sighed, "Well, let's hurry on to the back."

Before Roland could ask why, he was escorted to a fitting room where a human seamstress entered with a notepad and measuring tape.

"Take that off," she said, indicating the undershirt, "otherwise we'll be just guessing."

Roland complied and the seamstress turned bright red as he sighed in relief at the cool air touching bare skin.

In the last few months, he had been using a sword and traveling on foot. Combine that with his youth, he was in good shape. It was hard to not notice the light bulges on his arms that dissipated as he brought his arms down now that he removed the thick and heavy looking black undershirt. The unintentional flexing revealed how toned his torso had become.

His bare skin shone with sweat from the summer heat and the man looked so happy from taking the turtle necked undershirt off.

Roland then noticed the frozen red-faced seamstress holding the measuring tape in her hands. He looked down at his bare chest and blushed. He clutched his shirt close to his chest as if to hide it from view. Gene, who was behind Roland with the notepad, gave the seamstress a teasing grin. She sputtered until professionalism kicked in.

"Right. Fai Do, take the shirt," she ordered. "You, stay still." She held the tape like a weapon as she went to work.

When she finished measuring Roland's arms and torso, she handed the tape to Fai Do, "Do his legs, I'll be outside." She then ran out of the room.

"Er, take off your pants, sir," Fai Do ordered, trying to maintain professionalism. Roland complied, relieved that there was some degree of privacy.

After a couple of mortifying minutes, Fai Do and Gene finished recording and handed him back the coat as Roland redressed.

"Well now," declared Gene, "We need to check if we have enough materials for this. Come by in a day or so."

* * *

[MEANWHILE ON LEAFBOOK]

Tiffany: I just saw the most amazing specimen of the human body today.

Donny: Pics or it didn't happen

Gene: What did we tell you about objectifying the customers on the network?

* * *

Day 170/September 9, 20XX

The next day, Evan stopped by the armory. He sensed that the Autumn Mantle he had found last week after the mock battle with Goldpaw had something added to it but he wasn't sure what it was. Hopefully somebody there could tell.

"Ah, Your Majesty," Fai Do greeted, "Did Roland send you?"

"No," Evan replied, confused.

"Well, we were planning to create a long coat similar to the one he has now but more breathable and lighter in this weather. Turns out we're missing a couple of materials." Fai Do then listed what was needed.

"I can always help find them for you," Evan offered.

"Really? Thanks, that would be a great help!"

With it just being himself, Lofty, and Roland, the search would take longer since Batu and Tani weren't there to serve as additional spotters. It had taken a better part of two days between Kingdom chores but at last it was all gathered.

Unfortunately, on the second day, a Manticore managed to slice up the back of Roland's old coat, rendering it useless.

"Well," laughed Roland as he rubbed the back of his neck, "at least we got what was needed, right?"

The coat couldn't take anymore stress and with a loud ripping sound, there was a large tear under the right armpit.

The three stared at the rip in shocked silence.

"I can't believe that you waited at the last flippin' minute to get new clothes," Lofty said finally.

To Roland's embarrassment, he received a few stares at the state of his coat when they returned to Evermore. He retreated to his suite in the castle, leaving Evan to drop off the materials.

Gene thanked him and passed along a message to Roland to come back in a few days.

* * *

[MEANWHILE ON LEAFBOOK]

Linda: Oh my! Did anyone see how torn up the Chief Consul's coat looks? I wonder what happened...

Di Di: Did anyone notice how muscular his back is? Wow.

Linda: Now that I look more closely at my pic, yeah. Wow, indeed!

* * *

Since Roland couldn't wear the damaged coat anymore and the undershirt was too hot, he opened the small chest containing his suit.

He really did put off getting himself a whole wardrobe of spare clothes. For the longest time, getting Evermore up and running was such a priority that he hadn't put much thought in other things until they rear their heads and scream. And now its happening again.

The suit was not...well, suitable for fighting and he was lucky that the escape from Ding Dong Dell and the battle with Longfang hadn't damaged it beyond a few discreet repairs. But for now, he'll have to stay in Evermore.

And count his lucky stars for still remembering how to tie a tie.

He stepped out of his suite and was instantly confronted with the Earl of Summerlands.

"What in the world are you wearing?" asked the Earl.

"Clothes."

"Well, obviously," the Earl huffed.

"From my culture, it's what someone in a high office wears," Roland eventually explained.

The Earl stared at him for a long uncomfortable minute before waving a dismissive hand, "Well, its a lot nicer than that old thing you've been wearing."

Roland Smiled.

"...Thank you," Roland said eventually before heading to the throne room where he was able to intervene - just in time - as Lofty held a large pair of scissors too close to Evan's head.

"Um...We can explain?" said the Kingmaker.

Roland eyed the scissors before turning his attention to Evan. Huh. Yeah, his blond hair had reached his shoulders now.

Roland sighed, "Let me do it."

* * *

Day 173/September 12, 20XX

Roland knew he'd look out of place with the suit but it still fits him despite the muscle gain he had received in the past few months. What was it the kids in his world would say these days? Ah yes, that he must be looking 'swole.'

Actually, it really did fit him somehow. Last he remembered, his older self was several sizes larger due to age and he was surprised to discover back in Goldpaw that the suit and the white undershirt under the suit jacket fitted him just fine. It was like whatever had brought him here looking younger had made sure the outfit he was wearing to the summit was accommodated as well.

It really was convenient. Too convenient.

But he had to make do.

He'd probably look more professional if he cut his hair but nobody around here would really care about that sort of thing.

And so he endured the whispers going around the Kingdom. Who knows, maybe suits will catch on.

* * *

[MEANWHILE ON LEAFBOOK]

Fran Nee: Spotted the Chief Consul wearing a strange outfit today. I wonder why he's wearing it.

Yu Sei: Is he the same guy from the trial we had at Goldpaw a couple of months back?

Wen Ti: Sure looks like it.

Gene: His usual outfit was in need of a seasonal update. I'm glad he found something to wear while we work on it.

Fran Nee: Oh yeah, that blue coat looks incredibly uncomfortable to wear in the summer around here.

* * *

Day 175/September 14, 20XX

Today it felt way too hot to wear the suit jacket so he kept it off and rolled up the undershirt sleeves until they were above his elbows.

Throughout the day, he spotted young women lurking around corners and giggling. By the afternoon, it was spreading to older women and a few men.

What was so funny?

* * *

[MEANWHILE ON LEAFBOOK]

Linda: OH MY GODS THOSE ARMS

Bracken: Nice guns

Di Di: Arooo!

LB_Moderator: Please do not post adult material on public boards.

Linda: Can we make a private board?

LB_Moderator: Yes.

* * *

Day 178/September 17, 20XX

"Your coat is ready," Gene announced to Roland that morning, "Come by and pick it up."

[LATER, ON A PRIVATE BOARD ON LEAFBOOK]

Linda: Aw man, the coat's back.

Tiffany: The coat is made with lighter material and is infused with cooling charms. As much as I didn't want to make it and cover up those arms, I doubt King Evan would appreciate his Chief Consul collapsing from heat stroke.

Di Di: Yeah, and then we'll have a sad king.

Bracken: He'd be sad?

Tiffany: Yeah, he's like 10 right?

Wen Ti: Wait, what?

Bracken: This is the same guy who managed to make allies with Goldpaw right after establishing a kingdom in like a month? _That_ King Evan?

Di Di: Indeed. He's lucky to have Mr. Roland to guide him. I've heard he used to be a government official from where he's from

* * *

Day 179/September 18, 20XX

"Mr. Crane," frowned the Earl, "I see you finally decided to stop teasing half of our kingdom."

"What?" said Roland, confused.

[Later that day]

"Hey Roland," Evan ran up to his Chief Consul, "I heard there's a forest where Higgledies go and play! Can we go there?"

The Smile Roland was wearing became a genuine (and relieved) smile, "Alright."

* * *

[Meanwhile on the Roland Crane Fan Club private board on Leafbook]

Linda: Alright, who told Lord Summerlands about us?

Di Di: Is that why we haven't seen Roland today?

Tiffany: I heard from Gerel that he and King Evan went to explore the Higgledy Forest.

Linda: ...That's actually pretty cute when you think about it.

[September 20, 20XX/Summersend 1]

Linda: Nevermind, who knew that such a creepy guy hangs out there.

Wen Ti: Good thing Roland was there to protect our king from him!

* * *

Day 188/September 27, 20XX

A guard rushed into the Throne Room, startling Evan who had been about to start a grooming session.

"Your Majesty! Chief Batu has returned from Hydropolis!" the guard announced.

"Where is he?" asked Evan.

"At the beach, Your Majesty."

"We'll be there shortly," said Roland.

The guard bowed and ran back to his assigned patrol.

Evan looked up at Roland, who looked back at him looking smug.

"And that's why you shouldn't groom in the throne room," scolded Roland.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So, uh, while writing this, I remembered that Leafbook is a thing and Roland most likely has fans lurking around. Heck, Batu must have fans (who aren't sky pirates anyway) as well. The fanclub and Roland's unintentional fanservice was actually ideas I had for a comedy one-shot but it wouldn't let itself be typed out. So I decided to incorporate bits of it into here.
> 
> The 'swole' line made me cringe but I kept it in as a reminder that Roland is 48 and not as cool as he think he is.
> 
> I forgot who else is in the armory besides Fai Do around chapter 5 in-game so I just threw in Gene. *shrugs*
> 
> Anyway, Hydropolis is next for real.


	11. Entry 9 - How do you say 'one ring to rule them all' in cat?

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leander is not amused

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> At last, Hydropolis. I really don't have much to say here so...read on.

Day 188/September 27, 20XX

Archon Leander frowned as he reviewed what the Surveillance Eye has seen so far. An unknown ship containing a wealthy-looking woman, a girl dressed as a wild child, and a seasick man who used a trip door to return home only to come back an hour later with a boy with grimalkin ears and a man in a long blue coat who Leander recognized from his occasional forays into Leafbook as King Evan and his Chief Consul, Roland Crane. The wealthy woman demanded that her companions to behave themselves as she wandered off to explore parts of Hydropolis that only people of her standing go to. She may have just tagged along with no intention of doing whatever King Evan and his entourage were planning to do.

Mr. Crane spotted the Eye and whistled a tune that made his companions and some bystanders stare at him.

"Ah...sorry, it just reminded me of a story from my homeland," he said, "I'll tell you about it later."

A couple of women sighed when they spotted him, only to quickly look around as if hoping they weren't spotted by the guards. Another quickly snapped a picture of the Chief Consul with her Leafbook Viewer.

The Queen had wanted to ban the Viewers when they first arrived in Hydropolis but eventually relented when it was pointed out that this would only instigate a rebellion that could bring harm to many citizens. Which in turn, he didn't mention, would cause the spell keeping the kingdom alive to strain. Somehow the Viewers themselves hasn't harmed the spells in place. It was fascinating but Leander was reluctant to experiment.

Now...this man, he hasn't done anything in the kingdom so far besides acknowledge the Four Pillars, speak with a few townspeople and purchase some supplies. But if he deliberately did anything to provoke the population (there's no way he's unaware of the fans he's accumulating in the past few weeks) he'd be punished, diplomacy be damned.

* * *

[Meanwhile on the Roland Crane Fanclub board on Leafbook]

Cleo: Guess who showed up in Hydropolis!

Merv: He looks cuter in person!

Tiffany: Why is he there?

Bracken: Boring political stuff most likely.

Cleo: Aw...

* * *

[Private message from Timaeus, Earl of Summerlands to Lady Penelope]

(Message sent twenty days ago) Timaeus: Have you arrived to Hydropolis yet?

(Message sent eight days ago) Timaeus: Are you there yet?

(Message sent three days ago) Timaeus: How hard could it be to go in a straight diagonal line from Evermore to Hydropolis?

(Message sent one day ago) Timaeus: I see that you've arrived if the local women are in a tizzy at Mr. Crane's presence.

(Message sent 19 hours ago) Penelope: What?

(Message sent 19 hours ago) Timaeus: Haven't you been on Leafbook lately?

(Message sent 19 hours ago) Penelope: There's no signal in the ocean therefore I couldn't access it.

(Message sent 19 hours ago) Timaeus: I saved this screenshot before the post got deleted. Behold!

(Message sent 17 hours ago) Penelope: Oh my.

(Message sent 17 hours ago) Timaeus: He's even gotten a fan club forming! Granted they moved it to a private group where they can make lewd comments where our King can't see.

(Message sent 17 hours ago) Penelope: King Evan is eleven. The age filter wont lift until he's sixteen. They'll move on to better things by then.

(Message sent 17 hours ago) Timaeus: But still...I can't believe this degenerate is allowed near our King! Think of the things he could be teaching him!

(Message sent 17 hours ago) Penelope: Like what?

(Message sent 17 hours ago) Timaeus: Like lying about things such as claiming to be married when you are clearly not! He acted surprise when I pointed out that he lacked a ring. He looked at his hand and mumbled something about not having it when he was younger. He even had the audacity to look upset before he remembered I was there.

(Message sent 17 hours ago) Penelope: Timaeus...Are you're saying that you think he's lying about being married when we live in a world where there are monsters who are short tempered and highly skilled in magic?

(Message sent 16 hours ago) Penelope: Timaeus? Are you still there?

(Message sent 16 hours ago) Penelope: ...You're sulking again, aren't you.

* * *

The next day, Leander was alerted by a guard.

"Sir, there's a marriage proposal happening on a broken bridge right now," the guard shouted.

"Then arrest them," Leander adjusted his glasses in annoyance. This one must be new. "I will confront them afterwards."

He reviewed the Eye's footage to see who would break one of the four pillars.

It turned out to be King Evan who was proposing in a very nervous fashion. Who was foolish enough to sell that ring to him? And that tuxedo?

"About time..." said the Chief Consul when the arresting guards arrived.

Right. This wasn't dumb tourists breaking the rules. This was deliberate and was staged to grab his or Queen Nerea's attention.

Well, they got it.

But didn't they arrive with someone else? He adjust the Eye's sight and found the rich woman noticing the crowd that was beginning to dissipate once the rule breakers were captured. She looked confused until she activated her own Viewer. And then she became shocked and angry.

She had no part in this mess. Leander decided to not alert the guards of her presence as he headed for the dungeons.

* * *

[Private message from Timaeus, Earl of Summerlands to Lady Penelope]

(Message sent 20 minutes ago) Timaeus: Now do you believe me?

* * *

Leander had been waylaid by the Queen who had ordered him to bring the prisoners to her. He was approaching the dungeons when he heard a woman shouting.

"WE'VE ONLY BEEN HERE FOR ONE DAY. ONE BLOODY DAY! YOU AGREED TO ACCEPT THE FOUR PILLARS WHEN WE ARRIVED BUT YOU JUST HAD TO PULL A STUNT LIKE THIS ONE!"

Leander glanced at the guards who shifted nervously.

"Sorry, Archon, but she demanded to speak with them," said one.

"BAILING YOU OUT OF DUNGEONS IS NOT WHAT I CAME HERE TO DO, YOUR MAJESTY! AND YOU. MR. CRANE, WHY DIDN'T YOU STOP HIM?"

Leander at that point decided to make his entrance, "Indeed, what exactly was your intent in flagrantly ignoring our laws?"

The people behind bars looked incredibly relieved at his sudden presence. The rich woman looked incensed about getting interrupted in her ranting.

"Are you Archon Leander?" King Evan asked, his grimalkin tail swishing behind him. Leander found the young king fascinating. He hadn't realized that someone had succeeded in birthing a live human-grimalkin hybrid that survived past the age of three. What else has he missed during the past 300 years before Leafbook arrived?

"Yes," Leander confirmed, curious now.

"Finally, we meet him," said the red haired girl, still wearing her very pink dress. She and King Evan were still in the outfits they wore to the staged proposal. They weren't given time to change when the guards descended upon them.

"Forgive us," said Mr. Crane, sounding apologetic, "We were forced to use, ah, a little artifice to gain your attention."

"Is that so?" Leander tilted his head. "Why?"

"In hopes of discussion of treaties and diplomacy," sniffed the woman, "so much for that now."

"Lady Penelope..." began the burly man, getting a 'hmph' in response from her.

Leander felt exasperated and sympathized with the Lady, "If this is about forming a union between our two nations, I'm afraid I must decline."

"Just like that?" said the burly man.

"If it were up to me, yes," said Leander, nodding his head to a guard, "But Queen Nerea has ordered that you be brought before her." For the life of him, he couldn't understand why.

"Can we change first?" asked the red head as a guard unlocked the jail cell.

* * *

Queen Nerea had proceeded to grant King Evan's entourage a test. If they succeed in slaying the monster Cetus, they may have the treaty signed. She also assigned Leander to the mission, much to his confusion, but he relented to her wisdom.

The journey to the labyrinth where Cetus dwells would take five days, three if the winds greatly favor them.

Lady Penelope declined in accompanying them, stating that she would be a hindrance. She had her own reasons for coming to Hydropolis so she'll remain there.

She was also displeased that the dress she made for the little girl was worn so soon.

* * *

Day 191/September 30, 20XX

They have been sailing for two days and Leander couldn't help but feel touched to see how excited the young King Evan felt about the sea. The boy watched in wonder as cuttyfish and flyfish breached the ocean surface. He spent a whole hour on deck with his eyes closed as he felt the breeze bring the scent of salt water and fish as it gently brushed his hair aside.

The sailors laughed and taught him how to steer the boat, calculate your position with the stars, and how to clean a fish to make it safe to eat. He was reluctant to get himself dirty with the last one but grimalkin greatly prefer fish and he was no different.

It was lunchtime, the sailors retrieved the fishing nets and sorted out their haul. Evan had his back turned and was speaking with Tani this time so he wasn't aware what was caught.

"Hmm, an octopus," observed Roland, "I never had eaten one before."

"Ya might not like it. Socktopi are an acquired taste," said the sailor holding it.

"What's an acquired taste?" asked Evan, catching the last bit of the conversation. He turned around and saw what the sailor was holding.

To everyone's surprise, Evan's blond hair puffed up in all directions, he hunched as if he was trying to arch his back, and his tail stood ramrod straight. An angry 'Mrrrrrroooowwwwwwww' emerged from the boy's lips before he hissed.

"Evan?" squeaked the red head Leander had learned to be named Tani.

"What the flip?" commented the strange Kingmaker named Lofty. Leander wasn't aware Kingmakers could be that small until Evan arrived.

Evan blinked as the socktopus was quickly dropped back into the sea. He blushed, "Ah...sorry, I'm not a fan of those." He retreated to the cabin, embarrassed.

"...I think I now know what you meant by acquired taste," said Roland after a brief, shocked silence.

Evan emerged an hour later, acting as if nothing happened. No one brought it up.

* * *

Evan later went down to the hold to retrieve a spare spear. In Leander's haste he forgotten to grab his second-best weapon and was forced to rely on magic to fight off intruders from the boat after a smaller Jelly Queen had managed to break his spear into two. Evan found himself wincing when he saw that happening, which is strange because it's just a weapon. Then again, Batu and Roland also cringed...

Evan looked around and was surprised to find a familiar book. Curious, he turned to the latest page.

_Entry 49_

_September 30, 20XX/Summersend 11  
_

_The incident earlier today had made me realize that I had forgotten Evan's status as a hybrid. I suppose that when you live in a world where most of the population isn't human, you get used to seeing animal traits on people you speak to._

_But it hadn't occur to me that he could vocalize like a cat...well, grimalkin. I sure hope he wasn't using profanity in that moment. I doubt Lord Summerlands would ever forgive me if he caught wind of this._

A creak in the floorboards of the ship interrupted Evan and he placed the now shut book back down. He then turned around and found the spare spear he was looking for.

He hoped that this wasn't going to lead to Roland eventually deciding to give him The Talk. Father already took care of that last year when he wasn't incredibly sick yet and they both left it feeling mortified.

Roland shall never know what he had said in Grimalspeak.

As he left the hold, he didn't notice Roland stirring from a nap in his chair.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I figured there was grimalkin (and dogfolk and mice) hybrids before Evan but it was only recently they figured out how to consistently get the child to live longer. D:
> 
> I don't even know what Lady Penelope is doing while she's in Hydropolis. The muses wont tell me.
> 
> Do you guys know how hard it is to not make a Lord of the Rings reference about the giant eyeball thing in Hydropolis? It's really dang hard.
> 
> 9/4/18 edits: Extended Leander's view of the proposal scene
> 
> Also not really sure how Leafbook viewers are working in Hydropolis when there's no fantasy wi-fi hot spots in a town that's been in stasis for 300 years. I'm really reluctant to go with 'lol magic.'


	12. Entry 10 - The first day of the rest of your life

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Leander's eventful first day in Evermore

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So uh, remember the timeline I made as a reference (yet never released into the wild)? Turns out we should be in the middle of Broadleaf by now whoops
> 
> End game spoilers ahoy here. Unfortunately its in the middle of the chapter and I have end notes related to it. Just want to give you the heads up if you want to skip this one.

[On Leafbook]

Merv: Three of the Pillars have been abolished, the Queen got kidnapped, her kingsbond has been stolen by some guy named Doloran, and the Archon is heading to Evermore as our ambassador. Anything else I missed?

Cleo: I've been hearing rumors that supposedly we've all been living under a time loop for at least 300 years and Queen Nerea has decided to release us from the spell.

Merv: Wow, 300 years? Is that why summer feels longer than usual?

* * *

Day 203/October 12, 20XX

With the Declaration of Interdependence signed and Hydropolis under no immediate danger from Brineskimmer's rage or an erupting volcano, it was time to depart. Lady Penelope declined returning to Evermore by ship and Batu agreed, growing a pale green at the thought of getting back on it again.

"What about ye, lad?" Batu had asked as they escorted the Lady to the trip door by the harbor the ship was docked in.

"I am older than you," Leander pointed out.

Batu laughed and clapped him on the shoulder, "So is Roland, believe it or not. Until ye both look yer ages, yer both lads." Leander eyed Roland who was looking at the boat while in deep thought. The other man appeared to be in his early 20s yet during the two weeks of working with him, he acted much older.

"We should go by ship on the way back," Roland eventually decided.

"Ugh, but it took forty days to get here," Tani complained while Batu groaned at the thought of reliving that again.

"Indeed," said Roland, "which is rather odd considering the distance between here and Evermore isn't that far. Our mages even bespelled the ship to make it move faster."

"Did you get lost?" asked Leander.

"Come to think of it," Tani recalled, "We did spend a few days going around in circles before we figured out how to get out of it. It was really strange." Huh, maybe that's why her father was so ill.

"Do you have a map?"

"Of course," Roland removed his copy from his arms band and laid it out on the stone railing. Tani, using a finger, traced the route they used. She circled a particular spot several times before finally going east. She then moved diagonally southwest where she carefully moved around the whirlpool that no longer hides the entrance to the Kings Cradle to, at last, Hydropolis.

"That is odd," Evan commented. "It's like something is there but you can't see it."

"Perhaps," said Leander as he readjusted his glasses, "This is where Doloran is hiding."

"Ha! Then why don't we go and take down that swab, eh?" suggested Batu as he flexed his arms.

"He must have a barrier in place, mun," Lofty said as he studied the map, "It's gotta be really flippin' powerful or it has a redirection spell."

"How convenient for him," Tani sighed.

* * *

[MEANWHILE]

Doloran laughed as he viewed the group's frustration from his cauldron. The barrier put in place around the island of Nazcaa is a product of two thousand years of magic that he had learned as world trends concerning magic rose and fell. The barrier will go down when he wishes it to and that's when the Horned One finally awakens.

Focusing on the link between him and Roland, Doloran grinned as he sensed the other man's curiosity.

_'Would magic save my country?'_

It was tempting to reach out and tell Roland that yes, it could. All he needed to do was to fully pledge himself to the Horned One. As Doloran's soul mate, he too was linked to her through a kingsbond but not as strongly as Doloran. It was enough to allow the Horned One save Roland from a very painful death.

Yet Doloran still couldn't see why Roland's physical age had to regress down to 19 years old when he was transported to this world. An age where he is barely an adult and still plagued by the follies of youth. When sometimes your emotions get the best of you, no matter how much experience and wisdom you've gained over the years.

Doloran prodded the link once more to send an idea:

**'Let's research time magic'**

He watched as Roland frowned and looked around before boarding the ship. A hum of agreement thrummed through the link as Roland considered it.

Doloran grinned.

* * *

The boat and everyone on it popped back into existence on the shores of Evermore.

"What just happened?" said a confused sailor as everyone looked around.

"As you can see," Leander lectured, "even trip doors can recognize large objects such as boats. But you have to have the trip door remember the boat as well."

"So it would be the same as getting there by foot first," Roland guessed.

"Indeed," said Leander as the sailors, relieved that they wont be losing their jobs in Evermore anytime soon, prepared the gangplank to allow everyone off.

"Welcome back, Your Majesty," called an approaching guardsman, "It is pleasing to see you come home unharmed."

"I am pleased to have returned as well," called back Evan.

"So...uh, when's the wedding?" asked the guardsman as he gestured to Tani.

"W-what?"

* * *

After correcting the guard that no, a wedding is not happening any time soon and that it was a ploy to gain the Queen's attention, the group disembarked from the ship and entered the Kingdom.

...Only to be greeted by many more well-wishers for Evan's successful engagement.

"Perhaps, Your Majesty," said Leander as Evan and Tani became more flustered, "you should've found a different way to gain Queen Nerea's audience."

"We may have jumped the gun," Roland commented.

"Nay, we have set off the dynamite," groaned Batu before taking a deep breath. Leander noticed that Roland, Tani, and Evan covered their ears and did the same.

"SILENCE YE SWABS AND LET OUR KING SPEAK!" Batu roared.

All noise stopped as everyone was left stunned. Several dogfolk and grimalkin who were closer to Batu whimpered as their ears rung. Ah, so that's why.

Evan sheepishly passed a few soreaway leaves around before clearing his throat.

"Er," he began, "My apologies..."

* * *

[Later on Leafbook]

LB_Moderator: Breaking news: It's been reported that a wedding between King Evan of Evermore and Tani, daughter of Chief Batu of the Sky Pirates will not be occurring anytime soon.

Trey: Aren't they like 10 years old?

Ratja: It would much too soon!

Tiffany: What the heck happened in Hydropolis for such a misunderstanding to happen?

Roland: Wacky diplomatic hi-jinks happened.

Trey: ...Wow.

[MEANWHILE ON A PRIVATE BOARD]

Annette: So...would Roland count as Miss Tani's father-in-law if she and King Evan did get married?

Wen Ti: Being Chief Consul means you become King Evan's dad now?

* * *

When at last Evan entered the throne room, Leander bowed.

"Allow me to introduce myself once more. I am Leander Aristides, Archon of Hydropolis."

Evan smiled, "In thanks of your assistance, I hereby appoint you the position of Junior Consul. You'll be serving under my Chief Consul, Roland Crane."

"Welcome aboard," said Roland, his words tinged with an undertone of relief.

* * *

As it turns out, Roland had piled on many duties onto himself, it was a wonder he actually got any sleep or never fell ill. He had some people to report to him but they were from smaller ministries and, for some reason, the treasury. But actual co-consuls who could take some of the burden off of his shoulders? None.

Roland lead Leander around the castle to introduce him to various ministers and passing nobility. Lady Penelope nodded in greeting before warning Roland to 'fortify himself.'

He sighed, "Of course, I should've seen that one coming."

"Do not base your decisions on the Earl's opinions," the Lady advised, "You'll only end up going in circles. The same goes to you too, Archon."

"I thank you for the advice," said Leander, confused.

The Earl turned out to be a grimalkin with luxuriant grey and white fluffy fur. When he spotted his target, he walked right up to Roland like a guided missile.

"Mr. Crane," he began, "What in the three hells made you think that allowing our King to bind himself to a commoner was a good idea?"

"It was a staged attempt to gain audience with the Hydropolitan government," Roland explained, "It wasn't a real proposal."

"Thank the gods for that," the Earl sighed before his smushed up face frowned, "Surely you could've gained audience through the proper channels."

"Hydropolis has been isolationist for three centuries," explained Leander, "We were reluctant to bring forth any major changes in fears of straining the magic protecting it from time."

"What changed your mind?" asked the Earl, "Surely it was our young King?"

"Part of it," admitted Leander, adjusting his glasses, "But mostly it was due to a man named Doloran kidnapping the Queen so he could steal her kingsbond and enrage Brineskimmer into a rampage that was thankfully quelled before it could truly began."

The Earl looked so shocked, he couldn't comment. Roland muttered a farewell and ran off before he could fully reboot. Leander followed.

"Well, that wasn't as bad as the Lady made it out to be," Roland said when they were further away.

"Is he always...difficult to deal with?"

"I believe he's displeased that he didn't get the opportunity to encounter Evan during the coup and abscond with him before Mausinger's forces could find him." Roland theorized. "So he can't influence the King as much as he wants to. It's probably why he's always so abrasive to me."

* * *

The tour ended in the residential wing of the castle. Roland pointed out the rooms already taken before leading Leander to his own. He walked over to the fireplace and carefully picked up a kettle resting inside.

"Tea?"

Leander nodded his assent, glad to find something that hasn't changed in 300 years.

The two men discussed over splitting duties between them over tea. Leander felt more and more alarmed how more relaxed Roland became.

"Did you really have no one else?" he asked, "Surely some of the tasks can be taken care by Evan himself."

Roland shook his head, "I have actually been trying to ease him into it. But some things, such as laws...well, what laws do you think an eleven year old boy would consider passing?"

...Ah.

"Fair point. But what if something happens to you and you're the only one who knows what to do for a specific situation?"

"I had thought about it so I kept a log of the daily happenings in the Kingdom in hopes it would be a good reference for whoever is covering for me." He pointed to the desk, "It's in there."

Leander got up from his seat, headed over to the desk and opened a drawer.

There was two books inside. He picked the first one up and sensed that it was charmed to add a page whenever one had the intent to update it. What a convenient development magic has taken over the years.

He opened it and flipped it to the latest page.

_Entry 51_

_October 11, 20XX/Summersend 23  
_

_Hydropolis is breathtaking and the local variety in seafood is intriguing. I have been finding myself gravitating towards that as I get older and I doubt I'll ever encounter this wonderful take again if I ever return home._

_I find myself admiring Queen Nerea's strength of will in maintaining the magic that kept her Kingdom in stasis for so long. I...find myself wishing I could do that. Turning back time until I can redo everything and, as a result, my country is spared from its explosive end. My family, still alive...  
_

Leander shut the book, embarrassed. He was very sure Roland didn't mean this one. He picked up the other book and leafed through it.

_Spoke with Bai Gon and Gao Jia on the progress made with training troops._

Now this one is definitely what Roland wanted him to look for. Leander wondered how he should subtly suggest using a separate drawer for the diary...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Personally, there should've been more consequences with the proposal scene other than 'and then they get arrested.' Because, like, eyewitnesses liveblogged it on Leafbook. Nobody will ever forget this. Nobody.
> 
> Also, [behold:](http://bilbosama.tumblr.com/post/174789312848/do-you-have-a-map-of-course-roland-removed) my bullshit answer as to why it took forty days when it should be like 25 or so. That's rude, Doloran.
> 
> Speaking of Doloran, I have this headcanon that since he and Roland are soul mates, then technically Roland is also linked to Alisandra/the Horned One but its weaker on his end. It's enough for her to rescue him from certain death...and de-age him for the lolz (because why else would he be younger?). But the Doloran-Roland link is stronger so Doloran in theory could remotely manipulate Roland through the link once in a while. Obviously he didn't bother with it in-game but I feel he is very aware of it and this probably explains how he's always ahead of our party so it would be too late to prevent him from yoinking the kingsbond of the week.
> 
> Lastly, it turns out Timaeus (the Earl) is based on a Persian cat because why not I guess.
> 
> (Okay but if he and Lady Penelope did find Evan first, it would be Penelope and mostly Aranella kicking ass and taking names heck yeah)


	13. Entry 11 - The Spell of Plot Convenience

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which an epic battle involving two nations and an army of ghosts happens in the background

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, time to procrastinate on getting to Broadleaf because the writer's block said so orz

[FROM THE JOURNAL OF ROLAND CRANE]

_To my surprise, even though we now have more personnel in the Spellworks, magic that can allow you to traverse time is still out of reach. The exact incantation for some ancient spells has been ironically lost through the ages of time. Leander seems tight-lipped on the issue and I don't blame him after experiencing a three century long time loop._ __However, Evan reassures me that the rejuvenation spell is more than enough._ _

_I am better off dropping this foolish idea before I am consumed with what ifs and what could bes._

* * *

Day 209/October 18, 20XX

To Leander's surprise, the first order of business wasn't to immediately sail to Broadleaf. Instead, Evan focused on his own kingdom. It turned out to the right choice when reports of Tyran the Untamed being spotted inside the kingdom started to roll in.

"How is he getting in?" wondered Evan, "We have perimeter patrols on land and in the air..."

"Perhaps we need stronger walls?" suggested Tani.

"That would require a lot of gold, lassie," said the Minister of Finance, a Greenling named Niall.

"It would be too soon to start expanding the borders again," Roland pointed out.

"What exactly is this Tyran character doing?" asked Leander.

"Apparently, he's been...sneaking in to eat lunch," Tani squinted at the report she was reading as if the words would make more sense if she did.

"...What the flip?" Lofty commented.

"That doesn't sound terrible," said Evan.

"Indeed, Your Majesty," Leander reluctantly agreed, "but this poses an issue. If the leader of a powerful bandit tribe can sneak into the Kingdom without notice many times, then eventually his actions will start to escalate."

"Especially when he's still sore about our first encounter," added Roland.

"And the second one," continued Batu.

"But..."

"You may be a king," lectured Leander, "But you are still vulnerable." That netted him a wince from Evan as he remembered how his father was unknowingly betrayed by his own Chancellor for months.

In the end, it was decided that more guards are assigned to patrols and to occasionally have somebody 'accidentally' leave a lunchbox unattended.

* * *

Day 216/October 25, 20XX

A week later, a recently immigrated Hydropolitan guard entered the throne with a mock battle challenge from the Hydropolitan army.

"It says here that it will be held in Leucippes' Labyrinth," noted Tani as they all read the notice.

"You mean the place with all the flippin' ghosts?" said Lofty, "where they just flippin' humored us and would vanish if you swing youer sword at them a few flippin' times?"

"That does sounds very annoying," the guard commented.

"Oh flippin' heck yeah," Lofty agreed, "especially when their weapons can indeed hit you."

* * *

Day 218/October 27, 20XX

To Lofty's confusion, Evermore agreed to the mock battle. With Leander's help, half of the army was teleported to the Labyrinth so the rest can protect the Kingdom from local dangers.

The army arrived to the sound of shouting and swords clashing as Hydropolitan soldiers fought against ghosts and monsters taking opportunity of the chaos.

"What happened?" asked Evan to a healer attending a wounded soldier.

"A priestess in training named Speio asked to join us because she was tasked to find an object on this island that would help her powers grow," the healer explained, "the spirits on this island attacked her the moment she left camp."

"Is she okay?"

"We don't know," the healer shook his head, "we lost track of her the moment the fangfish emerged from their nests." Everyone grimaced at the word 'fangfish' as they recalled that the creature tends to retreat underground before ambushing you by bursting out of the ground beneath you.

"I guess the mock battle is on hold then," mused Roland.

"Pretty much," agreed the healer.

"We've came all this way though," groaned an Evermore soldier.

"Well, alright, then we help Hydropolis find Miss Speio!" Even decided, "Did Mr. Chingis's squad come with us?"

* * *

[TWO AND A HALF HOURS LATER]

Speio both regretted everything and nothing as she at last got cornered by a few ghosts and a Porc. Yes, she should've given the general the heads up that assistance in searching for the Sea God's Trumpet would be great. Yes, she had figured that Evermore and Hydropolis would have distracted the local wild life enough for her to slip through. She also figured that the ghosts would've left her be.

Unfortunately, her spiritual power acted as a beacon. From the moment she left camp, the ghosts all descended upon her.

Her screams attracted attention from camp and soldiers came rushing out to help her. This distracted the ghosts long enough for her to run into a group of Porcs who charged at her with their swords at the ready.

There was shouts for her to return but she got this far and she sensed that the Trumpet was nearby. She couldn't retreat. She's so close.

She spent what felt like days hiding and running. She never thought being priestess would require so much running!

Eventually, the monsters and ghosts trapped her when she was a mile away from her goal. She was so close.

A Porc raised its sword and she looked down to wait for the inevitable.

But then there was a mechanical roaring sound and the monsters looked around to find the source.

"Bombs away!" shouted a voice from above. Speio squealed and curled into a ball as explosives landed on her captors and blew them away.

The mechanical sound got quieter as it landed. Speio uncurled and saw a blond haired boy with grimalkin ears and a strange red and yellow Higgledy clinging to his head climb out of a small airplane manned by a burly bearded pilot.

"Are you alright?" he asked. Speio mutely nodded, amazed by this sudden turn in fortune.

"I'm Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum," declared the boy, "King of Evermore. I'm here to help you."

"So am I," grumbled the odd Higgledy.

Oh boy. She really made a mess of things if the King of Evermore was looking for her. She hoped neither Queen Nerea nor the Archon joined the search. That would be really embarrassing.

"T-thank you," she stammered.

"Did you find what you were looking for?"

"No," Speio shook her head, "but I'm really close. It feel like it's that way." She pointed and King Evan recognized what was up ahead.

"Oh! So its near the Sea Beast's Seat! I've been there before, I'll lead you to it."

"It would be wiser if we fly there," called the pilot, "the fangfish are very active and if we fly high enough, they wont be able to reach us."

* * *

[MEANWHILE]

Roland parried a ghost's sword and watched as it vanished. He was beginning to feel exhausted but he must help buy time for Evan as he foolishly went off on his own. He pushed back his worry and fear for his King's well being because he can't afford to feel that right now when everything native to this cursed island wants to kill him. Besides, Lofty is with him and can do whatever he can in his tiny form to protect Evan.

...This still didn't reassure Roland as much as it should.

"Look!" someone shouted and he reluctantly turned his head to look. In the distance, a fireball rose into the sky before exploding.

'Oh thank God,' he thought.

"He did it!" shouted Tani and the Evermore army cheered. The Hydropolitans joined in when a blue light indicating a trip door in use heralded the arrival of King Evan and the young priestess Speio. In the girl's hands was an object that greatly resembled a trumpet.

"Miss Speio," said Leander as he approached, noting the mortified expression forming on the girl's face, "What-"

"Not now, lad" Batu interrupted, shaking his head, "there's a time and place for humiliating green horn youngsters but this is not it. Right, Roland?"

"Right," agreed Roland distractedly as relief swept away the adrenaline and left him feeling aches in muscles he wasn't aware he had.

* * *

With the wounded and dead teleported back to their nations first and the rest second, Evan stood outside Queen Nerea's throne room as he waited for Speio to face her punishment.

He jumped as he heard a sudden wail.

"It's not working! Why can't I hear anything?"

"Calm down, child!" scolded Speio's teacher, "it's fine! If you just looked it over beforehand, you would've noticed that the Trumpet has lost its power from the tides of time!"

"Then what can we do?"

"You reverse the damage time had given it," Queen Nerea suggested.

"Oh! Excuse me!" Evan interrupted as he ran in, "I think I know a spell that could work!"

* * *

The Rejuvenation spell was a success and Speio sobbed out her thanks. She gave the Trumpet a listen once more and repeated what she had heard ("'Follow youer savior'? That's convenient." "Shush, Lofty!"). This earned her the title of Priestess and her teacher and the Queen encouraged her to heed the Trumpet's advice.

"As priestess, it is my duty to interpret the will of the gods," said Speio as she and Evan left the palace, "so that no one is caught unaware when they make their judgements. We also can commune with Kingmakers."

"You can?" gaped Evan, "Oh my goodness, that is amazing!"

"Darn flippin' right it is," grinned Lofty.

"Indeed, through my powers, I can help you strengthen your kingsbond so you can be more in tune with your Kingmaker."

"We hit the jackpot, Evan!"

"Ah...by the way," said Speio, "Do you have a shrine?"

"We do," Evan nodded, "but...it's small."

"I'm okay with that."

* * *

When they have arrived to Evermore, they came across Tani who revealed that Roland wants to speak with Evan when he has the time.

Evan cringed as he knew what exactly Roland wanted to speak to him about. He didn't exactly tell anyone what his plan was. He just climbed into a war plane and asked the pirate to fly off with him on it. His justification being that it would easier to find Speio from above. He was lucky it all worked out in the end.

(Un)Fortunately for Evan, Tani offered to take over the Welcome to Evermore tour (as they began calling it for whenever somebody of great talent had decided to come live in the Kingdom) and so Evan headed to Roland's office where a great deal of his Consul duties took place.

Roland was indeed in the room and had just set down a cup of tea on his desk when Evan opened the door.

"Ah, Your Majesty," he said with the Politician Face on, "Please do come in."

Evan reluctantly closed the door after he crossed the thresh hold. He wondered what would've happened if he kept the door open but that would make things easier for spies and maids who spend way too much time on Leafbook.

"Evan," Roland began, his voice taking on a familiar tone, "What you have done today was reckless."

"I know."

"Then you do realize how worried I - _we_ were when you just flew off without a word?" Roland lectured, "what if something happened to you somewhere out there?"

"Lofty and Aero were there with me!"

"And in the off chance Lofty couldn't help you? There is a mad man out there stealing Kingsbonds you know."

Of course Roland had to pull the Kingsbond card. He...he's acting like a parent!

"But Roland-" Evan began, feeling frustrated now that he realized that he's being treating like a child.

"Evan," Roland interrupted as he knelt down before the boy king, "Please don't pull stunts like this alone again."

The pleading tone in the man's voice shocked Evan. He never heard Roland sound so afraid before.

But...he heard his own father sound like that once when Evan was seven and had decided that climbing on castle walls was a good idea. It was a miracle that Master Tomca and Lady Ratasha, mages of the King's court, caught him with their combined magic before anything terrible could truly happen.

Now Evan felt guilty.

"I promise I wont do it again."

Roland shook his head, "It will be inevitable that you will. Just...be careful when you do, okay?"

"I'll..." Evan looked up at his Chief Consul, determined, "I'll try."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright so I was about to write out the third skirmish with Tyran but it turns out that unlocks after chapter six. But in one of his skirmish sidequests, he did mention sneaking into Evermore for lunch. Which...brings up a lot of questions. Namely, who was sleeping during their turn on guard duty?
> 
> I still wanted to (vaguely) write about a skirmish so I picked Hydropolis' mock battle and remembered that Speio requires you to go to the same island as well. So I combined both together into a giant mess.
> 
> So like Speio's thing as Priestess is to commune with the gods but random dialogue with her reveals she can also commune with Lofty spiritually/mentally/idk which has...interesting results (mainly: he thinks about food a lot). Maybe she serves as an extra bridge for the ruler and the kingmaker? *shrugs*
> 
> Tomca and Ratasha are OCs I borrowed from a Kingdom Hearts crossover AU fic (which is completely different than the other KH crossover fic I wrote before) I'm working on because I needed a couple of convenient prince saving mages from Evan's past. I swear I'll publish part 1 of that soon.
> 
> Next chapter: Maybe Broadleaf


	14. Entry 12 - Purreparations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Purrpare yourselves for incoming puns.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I am not apologizing for the puns you are about to read later in this chapter.
> 
> edited 9/4/18 - Rewrote part of the opening diary entry

[FROM THE DIARY OF ROLAND CRANE]

_Nature's Tongue is an unexpected addition to Evan's spellcasting. When cast, the spell includes the caster's companions so they can also follow the conversation (though it may be Evan subconsciously including us). So far Nature's Tongue has revealed that the whamsters around Evermore have come to respect Evan's strength and his ability to lead which is why they have left Evan's 'nest' alone these days. The skeleplasms are fighting each other in hopes that one day, one of them could challenge Evan to a duel. Somehow, neither of these two types of creatures are aware of what the other feels about Evermore._

_Evan has turned his sights on a similar spell called Spirit Medium. The spell allegedly allows you to speak with spirits and gain insight from their perspective of the past. My world has many stories about why attempting to speak with supernatural beings is a terrible idea but, alas, my and Leander's efforts to dissuade him has failed. The best we can do is ban researchers from going beyond from this spell and encourage them to look into any exorcism incantations we may need as a result of consorting with spirits.  
_

* * *

Day 222/November 1, 20XX

It was decided that visiting Goldpaw's library would help Leander learn how the world outside of Hydropolis progressed in the past three centuries. As long as he was accompanied by Evan or one of the others, Boddly would allow him to venture further inside the library and read her 'bookie-wookies.'

A passing dog man told Roland that somebody wanted to speak with him so he was unable to be Leander's 'guardian.'

"Oh, it's too bad Mr. Crane hasn't returned today," said a librarian assistant before sighing in disappointment, "I was hoping to catch a glimpse..."

"Why?" asked Evan, curious.

"Because," she said dreamily, "I have never seen a man work so hard in deciphering a tablet!"

Lofty and Evan glanced at each other in confusion.

"What?" said Lofty.

"Yesterday he was reading one of our tablets and writing down in a book he brought with him. He must be working on a better translation because the last time I read it, the translator made it out to be an account of somebody visiting a strange world where people travel in large metal machines the inhabitants call 'cars' and no one there uses magic!"

"That is odd," Evan commented diplomatically, knowing of Roland's origins.

But wait...Roland can use magic even though it's limited to a few spells. Is it because he's been living in this world for at least half a year?

"It is!" the assistant agreed, unaware of Evan's confusion, "I even asked Madame Boddly about redoing the tablet's translation charms but she said it was accurate! Now if your Chief Consul thinks that the translation is bad, then maybe she would let somebody fix it."

"Where is this tablet of youers?" asked Lofty.

"Oh, its over here," the assistant declared, going around a round edge and entered a small nook of books that had its own reading table. She removed the tablet from the shelf and left it on the table. "I'll be around if you need anything." She wandered off.

Evan looked around and saw no one around. He picked up Lofty and placed him on the table. The Kingmaker looked over the tablet and spent some time 'hmmm'-ing as he read it.

"Well, Lofty?" Evan said at last.

"Translation spell is correct all right," Lofty frowned, "but there's a few layers underneath that one."

"Really?"

"Oooh yeah, mun, looks like everybody hasn't flippin' agreed on what it says for centuries. Crikey, some even gotten forcibly weaker because the next translator didn't like what their predecessor flippin' did. Flip, I understand why the one from 800 years ago is almost gone. It's caster refused to use a universal language and instead went for their mother tongue."

"Why would they do that?"

"Hmmm...most likely because they were more fluent in that language ," he hopped off the table, "Welp, no need to worry ourselves over this one."

"But..." Evan wanted to know more but Lofty was no longer interested. Any further attempts at this topic came to a halt as a loud noise assaulted his ears, "Ow!"

"Evan!" Tani ran over once she noticed the king hunched over in pain, "what happened?"

"I don't know," Evan straightened up as he registered that the noise was gone. "There was this noise."

"I didn't hear anything," Tani shook her head, confused.

"Crikey!" Lofty looked around, "looks like you weren't the only one, Evan!" He pointed out the dogfolk who also had covered their ears and were now asking each other what that was about.

The source of the noise had stuffed her Viewer into her pocket and sheepishly headed for the employee break room.

* * *

[MEANWHILE ON LEAFBOOK]

(Self Portrait of Roland in traditional Goldpaw warrior robes)

Roland: Several months ago, my colleagues and I helped defeat a windwyrm that was terrorizing families visiting the area around Capstan-Upon-Hull. Today I received a thank you gift that had taken several months to make.

Yu Sei: Nice!

Lili: Is it really comfortable as it looks?

Roland: Yes, it is.

Ro Var: Glad you like it!

[MEANWHILE ON A PRIVATE BOARD]

Di Di: AAAAAAAAAAAAA-

Linda: AAAAAAAAAAAA-

Tiffany: EEEEEEEEEEEEE-

Bracken: Wait what happened? Oh.

[MEANWHILE IN BROADLEAF]

"Huh. It suits him. Probably," Bracken decided before typing in her next message.

Bracken: :O

* * *

The Evermore delegation regrouped in the throne room where everyone complimented Roland's gifted outfit before getting down to business.

"It appears that methods of crossing the ocean crevasses have been forgotten in the past three hundred years," reported Leander, looking at the world map. Ding Dong Dell and Goldpaw he could recognize but Broadleaf's inclusion and Al Mamoon's absence on the map appears to be recent.

"You mean those giant cracks in the ocean?" said Tani, "Boss always warned us to not fly over those."

"With good reason, girlie," Batu lectured, "those cracks are pretty deep with no way of getting out if you crash down there."

"They block all the ways to Broadleaf," Roland pointed out.

"Can't we just fly?" asked Evan.

"Nay, our air craft aren't built for distances of that nature," Batu frowned.

Leander smiled, "No need to fly. We can just have the boat leap over them."

He received five shocked looks from that suggestion.

"...What?" Roland said finally.

Leander adjusted his glasses, hiding his embarrassment, "Forgive me, I had forgotten that while this method is an everyday sight in Hydropolis, it was lost to time for the rest of the world."

"Can you make our boat do that anyway?" queried Evan.

"Of course. It would require certain modifications but with my guidance and the proper facilities, it can be done."

* * *

Day 225/November 4, 20XX

It took three days to modify the ship. In that time, research into the spell Spirit Medium was completed (to Batu, Roland, and Leander's great concern but to Lili and Speio, the idea of speaking with ghosts was fascinating), Fai Do and Gene completed several orders for the upcoming winter, Thetis learned key differences in non-merfolk anatomy, and architects finished drawing up plans to expanding the kingdom and the castle. One of the major changes to the castle was that the suites in the residential wing would have more space for new rooms to the occupant's desire.

"A bedroom I guess," Roland suggested when an architect gathered everyone in the wing's hallway, "You get more privacy that way."

"It'll probably be quieter too," mused Lady Penelope, "So you can't hear your neighbor rant to their own self after midnight." She pretended to not notice how the Earl's gray fur puffed up in embarrassed anger.

* * *

"Well, it doesn't look any different," Tani commented as they looked over the ship in the harbor, "but that's magic for you."

"Then why not take it for a test drive, mun?" Lofty suggested.

"I believe there's a crevice north of here," said Leander while Roland pulled out his map and handed it over, "We'll use that one."

"Oh gods," moaned Batu as he realized that it was too late to back out now. Another bout of seasickness was on the horizon.

* * *

"Well," declared Roland after the boat successfully leapt over a crevice, "I'm not sure if magic won this round or if the laws of physics did."

"Why not both?" said Lofty.

The boat sailed left and entered the string of mountainous islands and the green plateaus Roland and Evan eventually recognized as places they flew by when they journeyed to the Cradle of Light in hopes of finding a Kingmaker.

"What's that over there?" Evan pointed.

"...A cave, lad," Batu deadpanned.

"I sense something in there," Leander frowned, "however, its not a tainted monster."

"Cave it is, then," sighed Lofty as the ship drifted towards it.

The cave contained a fangfish and a treasure chests full of gold. A unearthly wail heralding a ghost sounded.

"My apologies," said Roland to the ghostly ball of flame floating off the ground, "We weren't aware it was yours."

The ghost responded with another wail. Evan frowned before his eyes lit up.

"Oh hang on! _Spectra!_ " There was an intricate circle that started beneath the boy's feet before it spread to include his companions and the ghost. The light that ensued blinded everyone for a moment before it died down.

" _Hello?_ " said a voice and they all looked to see that in the ghost's place was a transparent grimalkin dressed as a sea captain.

"Blimey," gaped Tani, "it worked."

"So this is Spirit Medium," observed Roland, "it would've been nice if you gave us the heads up first, Evan."

Evan's tail drooped, chastised.

" _I am surpurrised to have visitors after all this time,_ " said the ghost, " _it's just been me and the sea monster that killed me_."

"What were ye doin' here?" asked Batu while Lofty muttered, "Oh flippin' heck, here we go."

" _I was burying my treasure before Purrince Marcassin the Second's forces could capture me. How was I supposed to know the ship was the Purrince's purrsonal boat?_ "

"Er..." replied Evan reluctantly.

"So this world once had the sea kind of pirates," Roland mused to himself.

" _Pirate? No! I was a Purrivateer under the service of Queen Moocia,_ " the ghost corrected before shrugging, " _though purrhaps after that incident, Her Moojesty declined to speak on my behalf to save face. Politics, you see._ "

"Aye," agreed Batu, "which is why we air pirates spent hundreds of years without alignin' ourselves to anyone until recently."

" _I am pleased you choose Dellian royalty,_ " said the ghost indicating to Evan, " _but tell me, child, why did you choose_ that _as your Kingmaker?_ "

"Lofty just...appeared when I succeeded with my trials," said Evan.

" _So he was your purrize,_ " confirmed the ghost.

"I'm not anyone's flippin' prize, mun!"

" _My apologies, I did not mean to anger you, Kingmaker, but your kind was indeed considered a purrecious purrize. In my time, some kingdoms used to claim their conquered neighbors' Kingmakers if they survived the war. It took a team of highly skilled sorcerers to purrfectly merge the Kingmakers together into one._ "

"That doesn't sound like fun," commented Lofty.

" _I suppose it was not in the Kingmakers' purrspective,_ " agreed the ghost, " _but it looks like nobody has purrformed that lately."_

"And thank flippin' goodness for that!"

 _"Since your king defeated my slayer, you may claim my treasure as your purrize. I purrfer that you do._ "

"Um, thank you," said Evan.

" _I have no need of it, since I'm dead. Purrhaps I should move on. Farewell._ " At this, the ghost suddenly dissipated.

"Well...that was interesting," commented Leander, "that speech pattern hasn't been spoken for two and half centuries when I was born."

Everyone did their best to ignore the implications of being in a cave for at least five hundred years.

"What should we do with the gold?" asked Evan at last.

"We keep it, lad," Batu decided, "we killed a powerful monster, we win its prize."

"You mean 'purrize,'" smirked Roland, earning a laugh from Batu in response.

"What should we do now?" wondered Tani as they all headed to the boat with the chest.

"Purrhaps," said Batu casually, "we return home."

Tani and Leander sighed.

"Can we flippin' not?" whined Lofty.

"Might as well appurreciate that no one expurressed themselves this way anymore," grinned Batu.

"It's a purrfect oppurrtunity to get it all out before we get back," added Roland.

"Okay but I purrfectly understand why this stopped," said Evan innocently while Tani glared at him, "It's really hard to purrpetuate a purrcise speech pattern like this one."

* * *

Day 226/November 5, 20XX

"What's Broadleaf like as a country?" Batu asked the next day when they gathered to discuss their next move.

"According to my studies, it's a kingdom founded on a mysterious art called science," Leander replied before noticing Roland's surprised-confused expression. "What's wrong?"

"It's...ah...hard to explain but," Roland began, "ah, where I'm from, science is widely used and magic is considered fictional." Leander stared at him in great confusion. 'Where he's from?'

"Anyway, I'm surprised that Broadleaf's discoveries aren't more widespread." Roland quickly added.

"They indeed aren't," Leander reluctantly agreed, "the Leafbook viewers and advances in medicine are so far the most widely used exports from Broadleaf."

"How did the viewers mesh with the time spell?" asked Tani.

"Somehow they didn't interfere with the spells holding Hydropolis in stasis. We currently have senior priests and priestesses experimenting to figure out why."

"Interestin' but who is the royal swab in charge?" said Batu.

"Zip Vector, CEO turned President who raised a small company into a great industrial nation practically overnight with his ingenuity," recalled Roland.

"Alas," added Leander, "things don't seem to be going well for him as of late. There have been reports of political unrest and discontent citizens."

"So another country with problems," commented Evan as he placed his fist under his chin in thought, not noticing that Roland has done the same and Leander was raising an eyebrow at both of them.

"Another fine mess is waiting for us," added Roland.

"So...whose going on the boat this time?" Tani piped up.

"Roland," Batu said immediately.

"Wait, what?" said Roland.

"Rrrrroland," agreed Lofty.

"You can do it, Roland!" grinned Tani.

"The others have made up their minds, Roland," observed Leander.

"Ah, good luck, Roland," said Evan a tad nervously.

Roland looked around helplessly before sighing.

"Well, this is just _purrfect_."

[MEANWHILE]

"About damn time," said Doloran as he viewed Evermore in his scrying cauldron. Now he can speed up the process with President Vector so the Kingsbond could be ready by the time King Evan enters Broadleaf...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I regret purrcisely nothing.
> 
> So uh, this chapter's diary entry mentioned an incident with spirit medium and puns but I had terrible writer's block that I spent an hour playing Wrath of the White Witch, got inspired, and decided to write the incident out with all the puns I could possibly fit...And throw in a history lesson. Why not I guess.
> 
> Anyway, I remembered the Samurai outfit you get for Side Quest 30, which happened several months ago plot wise. I guess it takes this long to make a garment that actually fits the guy who solved your dragon problem. orz


	15. Interlude 2 - This would've been better with perpetual seasickness

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's another boat ride of doom chapter ooooh boy.
> 
> Have recently discovered I got Long Mein (the wannabe guard kid whose side quest requires you to chase him around town first) mixed up with his younger sister, Yung Mein. Will be fixing previous chapters that have him when I got the time orz

[FROM THE DIARY OF ROLAND CRANE]

_Day 4 (Day 234)/November 13, 20XX  
_

_It's been eight days since my colleagues volunteered me for ship duty. I did my best to prepare on short notice. I had given Leander a quick quiz on what to expect with consul duties and entrusted him with the Consul Log, I had ordered a better winter version of my coat in the event of colder than anticipated weather in the Autumnia continent, I had gone through the armory to select the best weapons we have gathered from slaying monsters, I stored extra soreaway leaves, six sensors, and items I didn't want lost during the castle expansion into my arms band. By God I hope I hadn't missed anything but its too late to turn the ship around now that the ocean rift between Autmnia and the Labyrinth is getting closer._

_I just wished that it was Lady Penelope instead of Lord Summerlands accompanying me as Evermore's Ambassador. The man keeps finding more things to complain about._

_I also wish I brought something to work on but everyone insisted I need a vacation from my duties._

* * *

"What in the world is that?" squeaked the Earl as he noticed the very loud sound of water rushing down cliffs.

"That, sir," yelled the sailor at the ship's helm, "is an oceanic rift, said to be caused by a worldwide event hundreds of years ago."

"Turn around!" shouted the Earl in horror as he watched the boat approach certain death, "We're heading right towards it!"

"Don't worry!" called Roland as he held onto the ship railing, "This ship is built to handle this! Just hang on to something!"

Lord Summerlands obediently grabbed onto a railing. The sailor grinned as he found the charm seal on the wheel that, if pressed, would cause the ship move faster despite not having the physical means doing so.

Muffled by the roar of the falls was a sound that could be described as a high pitched scream that would occasionally dip into a cat's frightened yowl as the ship leaped over the rift.

* * *

[FROM THE JOURNAL OF TIMAEUS FAUXCLAUSE]

_Day 7/Autumnstart 29  
_

_The amount of monsters in this ocean is getting to be ridiculous. It seems that they just pop out of the water every few hours. Mr. Crane seems very intent in fighting them all off when surely these sailors could handle it! The ocean is their specialty, surely they know how to fight._

_Day 8/Autumnstart 30  
_

_I stand corrected, they are only familiar with sea monsters around Capstan-Upon-Hull and Evermore._

_We are doomed._

* * *

Day 10 (Day 240)

"Timaeus," panted Roland as the last jelly queen was vanquished, "had you ever considered learning how to fight?"

"And ruin my fur?" gasped Timaeus.

The tired man glared at him and Timaeus huffed. When is the Chief Consul going to realize that high ranked men such as themselves should not act like unattached mercenaries?

[MEANWHILE]

Doloran chuckled as he sensed Roland's frustration while he monitored his progress on President Vector. He sent a reassuring thought through the link. As much as it would greatly benefit the other inhabitants on the boat, throwing the Earl off the boat would not end well. Surely Roland remembers dealing with similar people for hours during his days as a senator and as a ruler?

**Just eleven more days**

_...God I hope its eleven more days_ Roland unwittingly thought back.

* * *

[FROM THE JOURNAL OF TIMAEUS FAUXCLAUSE]

_Day 12/AutumnRise 3  
_

_Never again shall Mr. Crane be allowed to helm this boat. We just spent six hours at high speed and somehow half of the sailors are ill._

[FROM THE DIARY OF ROLAND CRANE]

_Day 12 (Day 242)/November 21, 20XX  
_

_Nine more days, my ass._

* * *

Day 14 (Day 244)

"Brace yerselves, lads!" yelled the female sailor at the helm, "We're gonna cross another crack in the world!"

But before she could activate the speed charm to safely jump across a large jelly queen emerged from ocean, cloaked with a purple aura.

"It's a tainted monster!" Roland yelled as he charged his gun, "Arm yourselves, this wont go down as easily as the others!"

As the sailors scrambled to grab harpoons and weapons gained from previous battles, the Earl ran inside the cabin.

He listened to the sounds of fighting until it eventually erupted into cheers.

"ALRIGHT, LADS, WE'RE CROSSING FOR REAL!" was his only warning before everything seemed to lurch sideways. There was suddenly a loud bang as the ship landed back into the water.

He decided to stay in the cabin until everything stopped moving.

* * *

Day 15 (Day 245)

A day later, the Earl mewled happily as he spotted land. When the ship got close enough, he leaped off and crawled onto shore.

"...Should we tell him this is not Autumnia?" a skinny sailor asked as they watched him go further inland.

"And not have a break from that spoiled landlubber?" argued his colleague.

There was a loud shriek in the distance.

Roland sighed, "Ah, damn it."

The ship got closer to shore and dropped the gang plank so the Chief Consul could go and reluctantly rescue the Earl.

It would turn out that the Earl had managed to get lost deep inside the forest that was on the island. After finding him, Roland attempted to guide him out but they ended going deeper until at last they found a door.

Roland brought out his map and watched as nine small points of light appeared on it. Three glowed red while the rest glowed blue. Taking a pencil out of his arms band, he used the door as a flat surface to mark the locations of the lights.

"What is that?" asked the Earl.

"A dream door. Evan and I were asked by a researcher to explore nine of them. This would be the tenth."

"One of the lights on the map just turned red," the Earl pointed out.

Roland looked over his map again. The light located on the island of Makronos indeed turned red. He stared at it in confusion before he figured it out.

"Evan and the others must've just explored it."

"How did he get over there?"

"Trip doors. They...teleported basically." Roland noticed a nearby blue pillar of light and smiled in relief, "Come on, I think I found a way out."

"Really?" said the Earl as he followed Roland only to suddenly crash into him. Roland grabbed his arm and said "Think of the ship!"

The Earl did and suddenly he was there, surrounded by surprised sailors.

"What in the three hells was that?" he asked.

"A trip door. Congratulations, you just experienced magic," Roland deadpanned.

* * *

Day 18 (Day 248)

Three days later, they finally reached Autumnia.

...And were greeted by a field of twisted metal and ominously green glowing dirt.

"Move quickly, I don't trust this place at all," ordered Roland as he climbed what appeared to be a giant gear.

"But what about the ship?" asked the Earl as he turned to look back.

The ship and the sailors at that moment spontaneously vanished.

"Mr. Crane! The boat's gone!"

"Trip door to Evermore!" was the Chief Consul's reply.

"Why didn't we just use magic to get here in the first place?" sputtered the Earl as he climbed over the gear.

"In order to teleport one place from another, you have to been at those places first," lectured Roland before handing the Earl a sword, "Take this if you want to live."

"W-why?"

"The local wildlife has found us."

A pure white gooey creature gurgled as it slithered over to attack. It took ten minutes to fight it off and would've gone faster if Lord Summerlands had actually participated with more than a few wimpy swipes.

It at last fell, revealing a mallet that Roland stuffed into his arms band. Batu might like it.

"Oh no," whimpered the Earl, "there's another one coming."

Roland sighed.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so I tried giving Timaeus positive character development but the muse wont take the hint. Also idk Fauxclause sounded like a good idea at the time. orz
> 
> There's no actual tainted monster in the middle of the ocean in the game. Doloran just wanted to cause a delay so there would be less interference with his shenanigans.
> 
> Broadleaf will be next for real.


	16. Entry 13 - Don't make me get out the ban hammer

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I'm splitting up what I have written so far because its getting long and if I posted it whole you all would be getting whiplash from the sudden mood change in the second half. The rest will be posted on Thursday.
> 
> Turns out Yung Mein and Long Mein are orphans but I mentioned in an earlier chapter that they have parents. That's what I get for not checking the Citizens Almanac every time somebody joins the kingdom. So I guess this fic is slightly AU on that front orz
> 
> Anyway, here be Broadleaf.

Day 250/November 29, 20XX

To Roland's great frustration, it took another two days to reach Broadleaf. If it wasn't the monsters, it was Timaeus complaining about being tired and wanting a rest break every other hour.

When they at last reached the tall metal tower that is the company turned kingdom, Roland retrieved his phone from his arms band, noted the remaining battery life (15%) and took a few steps back to take a picture of Broadleaf's exterior.

"Come on, let's go in," he said to the confused Earl and entered the tower.

* * *

"Your Majesty," announced a guard, "the Chief Consul has returned."

"We will meet with him shortly," said Evan calmly, his ears perking up. The guard bowed to hide his smile and left the throne room.

"Do you think he ever got seasick?" asked Tani, smirking at her own father who crossed his arms and glared back at her.

"Probably got more sick of the flippin' Earl if you ask me," commented Lofty as they all heard the throne room doors open up once more.

Roland stepped into the throne room looking like he hadn't slept well in a week, "Well, I'm back."

"Welcome back, Roland," said Evan, tail swishing.

In the three weeks Roland was gone, more citizens have arrived. The most interesting was the former Dellian court mage Master Tomca (who apparently was communing with nature in the mountains outside of Ding Dong Dell after the coup for months), Auntie Martha's granddaughter Alice ("So who is watching the cottage now?" "...I don't know.") and Nereus, a bard who got cursed with speechlessness two months ago after he ventured out of Hydropolis for the first time in three centuries. They defeated the witch for him and freed him from his curse.

"We also found a dream door on Makronos where the witch was hiding," said Tani.

"I know," was Roland's unexpected reply.

"W-what?" "How?" the children asked.

"Secret," said Roland teasingly.

The kids looked at each in horror while Roland handed Batu a new mallet and Leander an amulet designed to amplify the user's magic. They wondered what else Roland _knows_. Did he know about how the renovators accidentally ruined the rug in his suite while moving the fireplace? Is he aware of how Tani and Evan learned how to write a few insults in Pawish from Long Mein and Bao Wao two weeks ago?

Is he...actually, who knows if he is aware of the fan club he has on Leafbook. Evan had seen a couple of women out right trying to flirt with Roland and he never seemed to pick up on it.

If Pi Chi hadn't let it slip about the fan club's existence, Evan and Tani would've gone through life unaware about it.

_"They're not hurting anyone, right?" Evan had asked, "So why should I disband it?"_

_"They're not," agreed Pi Chi, "and I wont tell anyone that you broke the age restriction law if you don't tell Mr. Crane about this."_

_"Deal," said Evan and Tani immediately as they watched in fascination at Pi Chi's Viewer as the members mostly grumbled about how slow ships are. How...boring._

"Ye look like ye could use some sleep, Roland," Batu pointed out, interrupting the kids' thoughts.

"I should," Roland agreed, "But I left Timaeus behind in Broadleaf and who knows what he's getting up to."

* * *

"Flippin' Nora!" exclaimed Lofty as they reappeared in the entrance way of Broadleaf, "It's like we're in a giant tree in here!"

"I've never seen anything like this before," said Evan as he looked around.

"Ah, there you are," the Earl walked up to the now larger Evermore delegation, "I overheard a couple of commoners planning some shenanigans by a 'landing pad' thing and there are mechanical robots that keep beeping at me if I approach them. How do I return to Evermore?"

"You're standing in the trip door area," said Roland tiredly, "Just think of wanting to go to Evermore and the magic will handle it."

The Earl closed his eyes and his tail swished indicating suspicion. He then vanished.

"...Do you think he made it?" asked Tani hesitantly.

"Let's not think about it," sighed Roland.

* * *

Bracken was having an interesting day.

First, she was minding her own business and about to kickstart a protest when King Evan of all people showed up with his entourage asking to meet with President Vector. Upon hearing about the background for the protest, he stayed and watched.

Second, the protest was going fine until Zip's Kingmaker, Bastion, showed up and was ordered to attack the crowd. The protesters scattered, understandably not wanting to die from a discontent Kingmaker stepping on them.

Thirdly, while Bracken tried to break through Zip's mania, a man in robes and a golden snake mask attacked Zip and ripped out his Kingsbond and broke it, enraging Bastion, as Bracken and the Evermore delegation watched, horrified. She numbly heard them identifying the man as Doloran and groan that they were too late to stop him _again_.

Fourthly, Bastion was forced to retreat after his battle with Zip ended in a stalemate.

Now she was in the resistance hideout where Roland friggen Crane, Chief friggen Consul of Evermore stared at what appeared to be some kind of communicator in shock because it made a ding sound. Bracken's special leafbook drones already took a picture of him before the rally started and she quickly checked the fanclub's private page to see what everyone's reactions are.

 **[** Bracken: Hey guys, guess who just showed up in Broadleaf!

Ginny: HE'S HERE?

Tiffany: Good to know he got there safe!

Di Di: He looks tired...

Ginny: The eatery has energy drinks now. Maybe he should try those? **]**

Bracken looked up when the pirate looking guy asked Mr. Crane what is wrong.

"It's...charging," he said in disbelief, "I'm not sure how since the technology should be incompatible with...well, everything, but it's doing it anyway."

"Really?" asked an engineer closest to him, "Can I see?" Mr. Crane reluctantly handed it over and the engineer was surprised to see the 'Charging' message vanish from the top right corner of the communicator's screen. He looked it over, noting how sleek and shiny the casing of the device is. He pressed a button and the screen said 'ENTER PASSWORD.' The engineer handed it back to Mr. Crane and the device beeped again.

"Hang on," said another resistance member who came over to investigate, "Can you take a few steps back, sir?" Mr. Crane did so and the first engineer spotted and picked up a device on a table Mr. Crane had been blocking from view.

"Well this is fascinating," he declared, "this is a universal charger built for Smart Stick models. It contains an ore known for magical properties and the casing inside has circuits that amplify it so it can affect a small area..." He continued explaining the technical details, unaware that most of the Evermore delegation was going cross-eyed at the flood of complicated information.

"So what youer flippin' sayin' is," interrupted the weird yellow and red Higgledy, "is that its because of magic?"

"Well...yes."

"...Well," shrugged Mr. Crane, his face now carefully neutral, "I wish I had known about this sooner. There are some locales I've been wanting to take pictures of..."

[Meanwhile]

Doloran paused as he approached the altar with the kingsbond fragment. He just sensed a surge of disbelief coming from Roland's end of the link following by a long string of mental swearing and something about a phone.

He continued on with his task. Roland grumbling over a doomed young nation figuring out what to export is not his concern.

* * *

It was soon decided that Bracken will guide the Evermore party through the factory the next day. It was morning when most of the group left Evermore but thanks to time zones, it was the afternoon when they entered Broadleaf. They had all looked at Mr. Crane in concern from how exhausted he appeared. He didn't argue and was out like a light the moment he entered a bed tube at the inn, with a spare universal smart stick charger in his arms band.

Mr. Batu took one look at the inn's range of bed tubes and said 'Nope' before heading off to find supplies. Bracken couldn't blame him. The architects who designed the inn believed that it was unlikely that mercenaries would ever come near Broadleaf.

Mr. Aristides, Hydropolis' former Archon and ambassador to Evermore, sought out a cafe for a cup of tea. Hopefully...the local robots don't scare him off. Since he's been stuck three hundred years in the past and stuff, robots and artificial intelligence must be one hell of a concept to get used to.

That just left her with King Evan and Mr. Batu's daughter Tani. They were looking around the inn in awe while Evan's Kingmaker Lofty stared at her for a good long minute. It was getting to be creepy.

"So youer on that Leafbook group, right?" he said finally. He held up a hand when Bracken was about to freak out, "Not gonna tell anyone. Don't you flippin' worry. But really, what do you flippin' even see in him besides how pretty he is?"

"He's not really my type," Bracken admitted, "too young for my tastes." The Kingmaker snorted. "What? It's true! Anyway, I'm actually one of the mods on there."

"What's that like?"

"It's like...watching an idiot casting a spell with the wrong end of their wand pointing at their face. You know what's going to happen but its too late to stop it anyway. But...with this, I could try setting some sort of order among a bunch of weirdos so nobody does something stupid."

"Ach, yeah, I get what you mean. Last week we rescued this guy's voice from a witch because she found him too flippin' pretty and she wanted a piece of him forever."

"I don't think anyone's at that level," said Bracken. Or...at least she hoped nobody isn't. What is the protocol for that anyway?

[PRIVATE MESSAGE FROM BRACKEN MEADOWS TO AH CHU]

Bracken: Are any of the members magic users strong enough to steal bits of people they like?

Ah Chu: That's a stereotype and you know it.

* * *

[MEANWHILE IN EVERMORE]

"Welcome back, Timaeus," Lady Penelope greeted, "How was Broadleaf?"

"Too much metal and I could barely understand what the inhabitants were saying to each other," grumbled the Earl, "Now if you excuse me, I'm going to my quarters where there are no flying boats or sea monsters."

* * *

[A day later on the Roland Crane Fan Club board]

Bracken: Check out Mr. Crane's fighting style.

Bracken: [short video of Roland vs factory security robot]

Di Di: His swordplay is impeccable!

Linda: I wonder what else of his is impeccable.

Wen Ti: Ha ha!

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I just wanted to throw Roland a bone and so I deus ex machina'd a reason to give him his phone back.
> 
> Evan and Tani were originally learning how to say things in Pawish but since Goldpaw is 99% Dogfolk, I doubt either of them can bark like a dog. So...writing it is.
> 
> Anyway, yes the Fan Club has moderators. Bracken and Ah Chu are just a couple of mods trying to keep order. They have seen things.


	17. Entry 14 - The Factory

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *dropkicks Roland into the angst zone*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, this chapter contains discussion/mentions of the immediate effects of radiation and nuclear warfare. Since the original chapter was getting to be long, my warning would've been forgotten by the time I actually sent the party into the factory.
> 
> I also want to warn ahead of time that a certain dream sequence from Act 9 has been moved up because like it when it first appears, it was kinda from out of nowhere and I feel that just after the Bastion fight would be the best time for it.
> 
> Spoiler alert: This is not going to be fun times for Roland, honestly.

Day 254/December 2, 20XX

Three days in exploring the factory, Bracken learned that Evan hates socktopuses with all the fury of his ancestors, Batu and Roland (who insisted on being referred to as 'Roland' instead of 'Mr. Crane' and the other two men agreed on dropping the honorifics. Wow, King Evan's people are an informal bunch.) sometimes have competitions over whose puns can make everyone groan the fastest (so far it's a tie), Leander has been looking into expanding the range of his levitation and telekinesis spells so he can pick up things from even further distances (which was a surprise to his own colleagues since it turns out he's been limiting it to battle out of politeness), Tani likes puppies ("So...babies from Goldpaw or just babies in general?") and nobody has yet to figure out what language Lofty would sometimes speak in.

Also, these people are _exhausting_.

 **[** Cherry: Hey Bracken what's taking you so long to reply

Linda: You're not hiding any good stuff from us are you?

Bracken: KILLER ROBOTS ARE EVERYWHERE AND I'M THE ONLY ONE KEEPING THESE IDIOTS ALIVE

Di Di: They didn't befriend any Higgledies?

Bracken: TOVE IS A JERK WHO KEEPS ATTRACTING BL-ASTER BOTS AND THE OTHERS ARE EASILY DISTRACTED.

Ginny: I've heard about that one. He likes to play mean pranks on pure-hearted people.

Arty: So why haven't they shooed him off?

Bracken: I've seen how his spells -when he bothers to participate- can knock out a whole group of monsters in seconds. Equivalent exchange I guess. **]**

Bracken looked up from her miniature Viewer because Lofty tapped her on the leg.

"...any advice about marriage?" Leander was saying. Oh snap, good call Lofty.

"Always appreciate the little things," Roland replied automatically.

"How so?" Leander readjusted his glasses.

"How the way the sun lights up her hair," smiled Batu. Surprisingly cheesy but okay.

"How she smiles when you stumble on a joke," added Roland. Cheesy and cute.

"How easily she can pick ye up." Wait, what.

"How after twenty years you can't enough of each other." _What?_

"How both of ye know how to make-" "We got flippin' kids here!"

* * *

[Several hours later]

Bracken: I'm on second watch and I've been waiting for hours to post this

Bracken: BECAUSE OH MY GODS WHAT

Bracken: [Birds eye view of someone holding a device that has a picture of a family on its screen. The man with the graying hair looks familiar...]

Arty: What's that?

Bracken: Roland is married and is actually 48!

Linda: What?

Di Di: W-whaaat?

Tiffany: But...I've been in Evermore and I never seen those people before?

Bracken: Turns out he got cursed with a de-aging spell and then got drop-kicked through time. He's still touchy about it.

Bracken: I'm not even kidding you guys.

Ginny: ...Well, his kid is cute.

[Private message from Ah Chu to Bracken Meadows]

Ah Chu: You're not trying to troll them are you?

Bracken: Nah, it's for real.

Bracken: This has been weirdest week of my life and the week isn't even over yet.

Ah Chu: ...Did Roland really travel through time?

Bracken: Actually, he came from another world and has no idea how he got here.

Ah Chu: Why didn't you say that?

Bracken: Misdirection and the fact that nobody would believe me.

* * *

Bracken later woke up to the sound of gun fire during third shift. She lifted up her head and saw a bunch of sizzling mechanical pieces surrounding Roland. A book was in his hand.

Evan made a chirping mew sound as he awakened from the sudden noise. "Roland?" he said sleepily.

"It's alright, go back to sleep," was Roland's quiet reply.

"Okay..." Evan curled back into a sleeping position and was soon softly snoring.

Good plan, kid, Bracken thought and went back to sleep.

When she woke up again, she checked her viewer and found some pictures one her leafbook drones had taken and was waiting to be posted.

It looks like a book being held by Roland judging by the dark blue sleeves. She can see a date and then the word 'entry' and...oh.

She deleted the pictures. There are boundaries she'll never cross.

...And hopefully the rest of her drones learned a valuable lesson.

* * *

Day 256/December 4, 20XX

She did it. Bracken finally got through to Zip and broke through a spell nobody knew he was under. He was his old self again now that he was no longer under Doloran's control.

But now they have a new problem. Bastion has gone berserk and has been seen attacking the tower. If he attacks the fission reactor, the reactor will go into a meltdown and everything around it will be destroyed in an instant.

Also, stopping him would be pretty hard since he has the ability to turn invisible.

"Why does he have that?" groaned Bracken.

"It was a good idea at the time," said Zip sheepishly. If he ever got to reconnect with the Kingmaker, he's going to keep a better track record of Bastion's 'self-improvements.'

"But do we have an idea as to where he is?" asked Roland in a weirdly calm voice. Bracken looked back at him and saw him look back with a panicked light in his eyes.

"From the looks of it, he's on the roof," said Zip as he looked over the monitors, "you'll have to take the elevator."

"Right. Let's go." Roland ran out of the room before his colleagues could react.

"Roland?" Evan called out to him as they all followed after him.

They found him in the elevator, staring at the rubble in horror.

"Oh God," he crossed his arms against himself and started to hunch over, "it's going to happen again. _I don't want to experience it again_."

"Roland?" Evan said again and Roland looked back at him. Suddenly it was like a switch was flipped and the man calmly straightened up and any trace of visible panicked fear vanished.

"Kids," he said as he nodded his head to Tani, "if things get really bad, take a trip door back to Evermore and don't come back for us. Evermore and the Sky Pirates will need you to lead."

"You should listen, Your Majesty," added Zip as he tapped on his wrist-book, "There's no guarantee that you'll die instantly."

"W-what?"

"But the good news is that I have just redirected power into the reactor's high-pressure inlets and it successfully generated a field of sufficient integrity for all of you safely get up there," Zip pointed to the hole in the wall where platforms of light formed a familiar pattern.

"Why didn't flippin' you say 'I made some stairs'?" commented Lofty.

* * *

[Meanwhile on Leafbook]

LB_Moderator: Earlier this week, anti-Zip Vector protestors were scared off by the appearance of Bastion who went berserk against his master. The earthquakes and explosions that are occurring right now are being attributed to Bastion's wrath.

Fran Nee: It's happening over there too?!

Bracken: Don't worry, we're on it.

Trey: Be careful!

[One hour later]

Bracken: Good news, everyone. We're not going to die by angry Kingmaker.

LB_Moderator: Oh thank gods.

Wen Ti: King Evan succeeded in calming your nation's Kingmaker as well?

Bracken: Yeah, like a boss.

* * *

It was decided that they'll wait a day or two to sign the Declaration. There were a lot of things President Vector needed to do first regarding his people.

And so everyone was left staring at Roland as they went down the now slowly moving elevator to the factory entrance in awkward silence, wondering how bad things had gotten in his world.

Finally, he said, "I'm sorry for worrying you all."

"Does Evermore have similar reactors as well?" asked Zip.

Roland shook his head, "No but where I am from, we had our fair share of reactor meltdowns and had advanced far enough to weaponize this technology. This happened decades before I was born but my country used this type of bombs against another country in order to get the leaders to surrender because the war had gone on too long. It's well documented what happened afterwards."

"Did that same country use that weapon on Yorkton?" queried Batu as he put the pieces together.

"No, it was a different one and they were most vocal against the peace treaty I was about to sign."

"No offense," said Bracken as she slowly realized the implications, "But you certainly don't look dead."

"I'm well aware of that," Roland smiled grimly, "I gave up wondering how I'm not months ago."

"So what would've happened if Evan and I didn't escape to Evermore and the reactor...exploded was it?" Tani looked up at Roland, morbidly curious.

"It will be pretty bad if you survived the blast," he said, slightly dodging the answer. The far-away look in his eyes was coming back, "No amount of magic could heal you in time."

Zip was about to add additional details when he noticed the way Batu glared at him and how Leander glanced at the young king and Batu's daughter before looking back at Roland. Right, not in front of the kids (who fortunately caught the hint and didn't press on).

At last the elevator came to a halt and they all used a trip door to return to the main city. It wasn't hard to notice how Roland immediately relaxed.

* * *

_Roland found himself in the ruins of Yorkton. Everything was just...quiet. There weren't any cars honking as their engines ran them. There weren't any people shouting in various languages. There weren't any animals calling out to one another. The only sound he could hear was the scrape of his shoes against the ground and his own breathing._

_There was a vague scent of something burning in the air._

_"I'm...home?" he said aloud and was surprised to hear how his deep voice has gotten. He recalled that he hadn't sounded like that since March. He rubbed a hand against the back of his head and found short hair. He looked at the hand and found it more calloused and slightly wrinkled by age. The arm attached to it was covered by his suit jacket. He was his old self again._

_"Daddy?" Roland turned and there was Sean, unharmed. Oh thank God._

_"You're okay!" Roland smiled in relief as his son ran up and hugged him._

_"Daddy, I was so scared!" he cried as he tightened his hug around his father._

_"You're safe now. I'll protect you." Roland soothingly patted Sean on his head._

_"Will you...Really?" Sean released his hold and just sagged all of his weight into his father, his arms hanging limply._

_"Sean?" dread filled Roland as his son backed away from him and slowly lifted his head._

_"I'm sorry, Dad," where there should have been eyes were now blackened pits. What Roland hoped to be black tears ran down his son's burned face, "It's too late for that."_

_"Sean!" Roland reached out to grab his son as Sean suddenly started to decay in front his eyes until at last he collapsed into a pile of ashes that were blown away by the wind._

_"No..." Roland whimpered. His son is...is..._

_He fell to his knees as burning pain spread across his skin and grief threatened to tear his already seizing heart into pieces. His vision blurred and he couldn't tell if his eyes were also melting out of their sockets or if he was just crying._

_He wordlessly screamed as the smell of burning flesh became stronger and he wasn't sure if it was his own._

* * *

And then he woke up.

It was dark and the walls were too close.

Oh God. He's in a coffin, isn't he?

Did no one check to see if he was still alive? Is he underground right now?

He whimpered as he brushed his hand against a wall. It's metal. His body must've been too irradiated to safely check for vital signs.

"S-somebody..." he managed to croak out, "Help..."

There was a 'shhhh' sound that almost sounded like somebody's voice. The urge to sleep overpowered his panic and fear until he gave in to dreamless oblivion.

* * *

"Oh cool," greeted a technician to the white-blond haired man overseeing the wall of screens tracking vital signs of the inn's patrons, "I didn't know I was going to have back up tonight."

The other tech's eyebrows, partially hidden by his large sunglasses, scrunched up as a look of confusion spread across his visible features as he turned to answer his colleague, "Um, I lost track. What time is it?"

"Graveyard shift, dude."

"Ah jeez, not again," the tech stood up and the newcomer saw that his name tag said 'Orlando,' "Sorry man, you're on your own. Also, one of the patrons was having a claustrophobia episode but I calmed him down with knock out gas. Other than that, everything's fine so far. Bye!" He rushed out the door, leaving his confused co-worker behind.

In the morning, the remaining technician shared the story with his supervisor, who looked back at him in concern.

"We don't have an Orlando working here," he said.

"We don't?" repeated the shocked tech.

"Yeah, and we don't use knock-out gas on customers. Nor do we allow somebody with claustrophobia into the tubes. Why would we when we have industry-standard rooms set up just in case for that?"

"Then...who the hell was that?" asked the tech.

"My guess? You interrupted an assassin last night. Luckily for us, it looks like King Evan and his entourage were not targeted because they all got up just fine." The supervisor pointed to a security camera screen where all six Evermore visitors gathered together and shared morning greetings. They were approached by Bracken who greeted them with a box of bagels.

The Chief Consul showed no signs of last night's distress.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Gee, I wonder who this Orlando person is. :|
> 
> In this house, Evan does the stair sequence of the Bastion boss fight in one go instead of like a bajillion times for 40 minutes. orz
> 
> Originally, the phone was going to beep with a 'yo its your birthday' reminder and Roland has a brief (and kinda humorous) existential crisis (is he 20 or 49 now?) and leafbook implodes because Tani makes a 'happy 49th birthday' post and everyone's like WHAT. The scene didn't want to cooperate and just slowed everything down so out that went. And personally, it kinda feels like this iteration of Roland is more of an Aries. *shrugs*
> 
> Roland managed to survive a nuclear blast and the game wants you to believe that he wouldn't freak out like maybe a little bit about the possibility of experiencing that again in Broadleaf?
> 
> The Dream of Happy Fun Times was originally a little less nightmare fuel-y in the game. But also like 20 seconds long.
> 
> To be honest, Birthday Existentialism and Vague PTSD was a couple of scenes I had in my head for Broadleaf for a long time. Its great getting it out.
> 
> To clarify: Only Roland's fellow party members, Ah Chu (who doesn't know the specifics as to what happened before he arrived), probably Zip Vector, and maybe Speio (because communing with gods and kingmakers means you know all the divine gossip) are aware that Roland is from another world. The fanclub are getting mixed feelings on the 'he is an accidental time traveler' story and some people in Evermore got the 'refugee who went to Ding Dong Dell only to have the coup happen on his first day as castle guard' story.


	18. Entry 15 - Bandits and Bots

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Bracken adjusts to Evermore

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And now: a buffer chapter while I figure out Act 7.
> 
> With Bracken on the team, I think I can safely say this: Evan and Tani will most likely check in on Roland's diary once a while, Lofty knows everything going on in the kingdom because he's a Kingmaker so why would he check, Batu only will check if Roland flipped his shit again and is sulking somewhere, Leander and Bracken wont check because Leander ironically respects privacy and Bracken would rather not be armed with fanclub bait to taunt them with. IDK with Timaeus but I'm hoping maybe he wouldn't if he knew about the diary's existence.

Day 263/December 11, 20XX

Bracken has only been here for a week and it still amazes her how eccentric Evermore is. The sky pirates have competitions in their 'Heartlands-proof' planes. The grimalkin citizens like to nap during the afternoon which meant some stores are closed for an hour and some dogfolk shopkeepers have been considering the same thing but in the late morning. The army consists of four different species whose only connection is Common Tongue and the fact that they all chose to be loyal to a pre-teen king. The Earl guy needs to chill out though. She had told him so once and the result was that he puffed up in rage before storming off and Roland stared at her as if she grew a second head.

And Evan's local rival is a bandit guy named Tyran who just issued a second re-challenge notice that said he'll start invading tomorrow.

"Should we be worried?" Bracken asked.

"We fought this flippin' lug before," Lofty shrugged, "it wont be that hard."

"The army has gotten bigger too," Tani pointed out, "so it would be quick."

"It says he's gotten support from other bandit tribes," said Bracken as she reread the letter. At least, that's what she hoped it says. This guy's spelling is atrocious.

"Ye know what they don't have?" grinned Batu, "A birdmobile unit."

"Pam fod eich ffliw yn ateb i bopeth?" grumbled Lofty under his breath.

"It's a good plan, ye cur!" Batu growled.

"Is...is it always like this around here?" Bracken asked Leander as they watched the two argue.

"You'll get used to it," Leander replied in a long-suffering tone.

* * *

Day 264/December 12, 20XX

"Sire, a representative from a bandit tribe called 'The Wayblockers' requests audience with you," a scout said as he ran up to Evan while he prepared himself for another battle with Tyran.

"Really?" gasped Evan, "Let him through!"

To everyone's surprise, the bandit bowed to Evan, who did the same, and they both bumped fists. The bandit repeated the actions with Roland who greeted with, "Chief Mae-Ur, it's surprising to see you here."

"And wot, miss me chance of seein' ya in action?" grinned the Chief, "I wanna see how yer boy teaches that ego fer brains 'bout sharin'. If all dis spooks can live here without clashin' all day, then why not live with King Kitty in peace here?"

"Your assistance is appreciated, Chief Mae-Ur" said Evan.

"Yer welcome, lad. Now let's show 'em what ye got."

* * *

"How did my weapons do?" grinned Ah Chu as Bracken approached the weapons shop after the battle.

"We get to live another day with Evan as our king," she said, "How's the club doing?"

"Same old. Now they're all agreeing that Roland is most likely the best dad ever with his mysterious son from the future."

"The way he sometimes acts around Evan? Definitely."

"I know," grinned Ah Chu, "now if only they start acknowledging it."

* * *

[On the Fanclub Board]

Ginny: Hey, Ah Chu, Bracken's in Evermore now right? How is she holding up?

Ah Chu: She's now Minister of Ingenuity, meaning she oversees projects that go to improving the Kingdom.

Ah Chu: Roland must've been overseeing some of that because he looks like he's getting more sleep now.

Tiffany: I've been hearing rumors that Lady Penelope may be trying out for some administrative duties.

Donny: Better her than the Earl. At least she acknowledges us commoners' existence.

Ginny: Maybe you guys should get more ministers or at least more underlings for them so everybody in charge can get more sleep?

Ah Chu: I'll pass that on to Bracken.

* * *

Day 267/December 14, 20XX

"So, you can commune with Kingmakers, right?" asked Bracken when she came across the shrine one day, "What's that like?"

"At first," began Speio, "communing with Lofty was...vague. I was getting some emotions and words in a language I haven't heard of. Whatever happened in Broadleaf changed things."

"Their link got strong enough for Lofty to turn into a dragon," said Bracken. Everyone was surprised by that turn of events because apparently he had never done that before.

"That is good news," decided Speio, "because that means Lofty will be more able to protect the kingdom."

"Great! So...what's it like communing with him now?"

"I can understand a great deal of his thoughts," Speio made a face, "but now it all centers around his rumbling stomach and repeating the word 'Tidy' a lot."

* * *

Day 271/December 18, 20XX

"I think I've seen this movie before," mused Roland as he later watched a mock battle between Evermore and Broadleaf unfold in the fields of Autumnia, "nothing good comes from a robot army."

"Your world sounds more weirder every time you talk about it," said Bracken.

"Magic is merely a fictional thing where I'm from so your world could be considered stranger," Roland countered.

"See? Just like that, you make it sound like it's terrible."

"If it makes you feel any better, I never had to fight off giant hamsters and dragons every time I go somewhere until this year."

"Okay, maybe your world is _slightly_ better."

"[BEEP BOOP]," announced a gold robot as it approached the two observing humans, "KING EVAN SAID MISS BRACKEN WOULD BE IN THIS SPOT."

"I'm Bracken," she raised an eyebrow at how shiny its casing was. This wasn't a standard robot AI. "How can we help you?"

"I WAS GIVEN CITIZENSHIP TO EVERMORE. KING EVAN SAID YOU WERE MOST LIKELY TO KNOW HOW I OPERATE."

"That's reasonable," Bracken agreed. Everyone in Broadleaf knew how to, at minimum, repair a robot's joints.

"What's your name?" asked Roland.

"MY DESIGNATION IS ANDREW. I HAVE MANY IDEAS AS TO HOW TO IMPROVE YOUR HOMELAND."

"Um, maybe you should see how we do things first," Bracken suggested.

"ILLOGICAL BUT I WILL OBSERVE FIRST."

A cheer sounded from the field below.

"Ah, we won," observed Roland.

"THOSE CHUMPS DEFENDING BROADLEAF DIDN'T EVEN ACCOUNT FOR AIR RAIDS," complained Andrew, "HOW ARE THEY SUPPOSED TO PROTECT IT IF DEATH COMES FROM ABOVE? I'M GLAD I'M LEAVING THIS PLACE NOW." He wheeled away beeping insults to Broadleaf's 'badly upgraded' army as the two humans watched.

"In my world," Roland said finally, "we have a story where two of the characters are robots. One is tall, gold-plated, and full of anxiety and the other is Andrew's size and speaks in binary but you can tell it's snarking back at you. It's like I'm looking at what would happen if you combine them together and made it less worried about everything."

"So your world's view on robots isn't just propaganda against them?"

"Pretty much."

* * *

Later that night, Bracken was heading to her apartment when she noticed Evan by Roland's door...who, last she checked, was heading to his office.

"What's up, kiddo?" she asked. Evan's hair puffed up and his tail froze in a straight line. There was a flash of something vanishing into his arms band.

"A-ah," Evan squeaked nervously, "I wanted to, uh, talk to Roland about...ah..."

Bracken grinned. Aha, she caught him at something he wasn't supposed to be doing.

"Roland's in his office," she pointed out before lowering her voice, "Try a better excuse next time, kiddo. What kind of king snoops on his subjects?" Evan's tail drooped in embarrassment.

"I think I forgot his snack," Evan said loudly before running down the hallway in a direction that doesn't lead to the kitchen or to the Chief Consul's office.

Bracken tried the door handle and found it locked.

Well, not her business. She continued on to her apartment, contemplating if she should tell Roland about this.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> google!Welsh translation: Why is that your flipping answer to everything?
> 
> The bandit tribe siding with Evermore was first mentioned in chapter 9. I'm not even sure what accent I was attempting to emulate with the Chief here.
> 
> The bit with Speio is an optional dialogue whenever you speak with her while doing Evermore upgrades.
> 
> Roland's world may have Star Wars or a knock-off version. Nobody really knows. Also, I may be exaggerating Andrew's canon characterization but an AI obsessed with constant upgrades would probably look down on his 'lesser' fellows because they don't upgrade as often as he does.
> 
> Also maybe I should stop relying on Chingis' air raid ability for this story's skirmish chapters but that's what I did in my playthrough orz


	19. Entry 16 - Dragons and Treason

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Welcome to the start of the Chapter 7 Angst.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Cousins are going to be visiting this week so updates will be slower.

Day 274/December 21, 20XX

Ever since they returned to Broadleaf, Evan had an odd feeling that he was being watched. It seemed to lesson when he was in rooms he frequented which wasn't really reassuring.

He eventually asked Lofty if he had sensed anything and the Kingmaker waved an arm and said smugly, "Don't you flippin' worry about it, mun. It's being taken care of."

"It's creepy," complained Evan.

"Well...alright." Lofty snapped his fingers.

Nothing seemed to immediately happen and Evan told him so.

"Trust me, it's working, kid."

Evan would ask Roland if anything's amiss but the older man had gone to check in on a Capstan sailor named Tiller he met while the group was recruiting a marketplace analyst from Broadleaf whose stops included Capstan-Upon-Hull a few days ago. Apparently Tiller was going to see the world with just a row boat. He had also stopped replying to Roland's messages on Leafbook.

Concerned, Roland asked permission to borrow the ship and hasn't been seen since yesterday. To Evan's disappointment, he even took the diary with him. Drat.

* * *

Day 277/December 24, 20XX

Roland returned a few days later with an embarrassed Tiller who ran off to join the shipyard.

"I also found these during my travels," he said while he and Evan reconvened in the throne room and handed the boy a cloak and a wand. Evan sensed an enchantment attached the cloak. It seemed it would make the user more proficient at wielding a sword.

Now that he examined the cloak some more, the enchantment spell seemed...badly woven into the cloak. Who would wear such a thing?

"Gosh, thank you," said Evan politely as he placed the wand and cloak into his arms band.

* * *

Day 278/December 25, 20XX

The next day, as Evan's inner circle gathered in the throne room, Evan realized he forgot to ask Roland about the weird sensation. But now is not the time to change the subject.

"All we have left now is Ding Dong Dell," declared Roland, "But it will be hard to approach."

"Indeed, we will need to find a way to get King Mausinger to hear us out," agreed Leander.

"And with the Horned One's resurrection growing closer thanks to Doloran, we can't afford such strife," mused Evan.

"You think Doloran will go after Mausinger's kingsbond too?" asked Bracken.

"There's a great chance that he'll do so," Leander pointed out.

"If we had a way to get that cowardly swab, I'd reckon we take care of him first," grumbled Batu.

"Unfortunately," Roland shook his head, "we don't. Our best - what is that noise?" He turned to the window as he heard a loud mechanical sound.

They all turned to the window and gasped as they watched Zip Vector's air ship hover in the courtyard.

"HEY GUYS! IS THERE ROOM FOR ONE MORE?" Zip shouted into his megaphone before he directed the air ship to the Heartland beaches.

A few minutes later, a guard rushed into the throne room, "Your Majesty, President Zip Vector wishes to speak with you."

* * *

Zip Vector, as it turns out, wanted to gift Evermore his Zippelin. Bracken pounced on the chance to remove giant Zip face adorning the air ship, stating something about wind resistance. The resulting clanging made several citizens come out and watch as she modified the gifted air ship.

"Ah, can you give me a ride home?" Zip eventually asked once it was finished.

They all jumped at the chance to try out the Zippelin and soon enough, everyone except Roland was awed as they watched the clouds pass by them.

"Isn't this amazing, Roland?" asked Evan.

The Chief Consul nodded, "Yeah. I kind of miss this..."

"Your world has air ships too?" Tani joined the conversation.

"A whole fleet of them. Some nations reserve a special plane just for their leaders," said Roland, "I used to have to fly for miles to meet up with another leader."

"Wont this take days then?" pondered Evan.

"The planes I know of are fast enough to make journeys be a few hours long. I can assume we'll be at Broadleaf by night fall. Am I correct, President Vector?"

"Correct, Mr. Crane. With the mini fission reactor powering this baby, you can get anywhere before you can blink." Zip unfortunately then launched into a lecture about how the smaller reactor works and how it related to flight.

By the time they dropped Zip off, everyone mostly tuned him out. When he was at last back in Broadleaf, they all breathed a sigh of relief.

"So, where should we go next?" grinned Batu.

* * *

"Ah it's cold!" whimpered Tani as they stepped out in a snowy field.

"Perhaps it would be best if we come back here more prepared," suggested Leander as Evan and Bracken formed small balls of flame in their hands to keep everyone warm.

"That would be for the best," agreed Roland.

* * *

"Now, its pretty damn hot down here," groaned Batu as he swept sweat off his brow.

"It doesn't feel that bad," said Roland, still wearing his summer long coat. Batu glared back at him.

A fangfish suddenly emerged from the sand and hissed at everyone as a purple aura surrounded it.

"...Nope," decided Bracken.

* * *

Day 280/December 27, 20XX

" _Give this to my daughter,_ " moaned the ghost of a sailor as he indicated to the necklace sitting on a nearby rotting crate, " _Can you please tell her I'm sorry that I'm not coming home?_ "

"We will," said Evan, ears drooping.

" _Thank you. I can finally rest now..._ " The ghost dissipated.

The flight to Capstan was somber. Evan and Roland both stared out of a window for similar yet different reasons.

It was Batu who handed over the necklace to a woman named Keely, who clutched it close to her chest and trembled.

"Ye said he passed on?" she said, "then...I'm glad he can finally rest."

"What will you do now?" asked Leander softly.

Keely took a deep calming breath, "Is...Is there room fer one more in yer Kingdom, Yer Majesty?"

"Of course!" smiled Evan.

"Then it's time fer me to move on too."

* * *

"Some jerk came in here and stole our nest!" shrieked the Grimchilla chief before pointing its staff at a nearby grimalkin, "and then this guy's jerk of a friend kicked out the nest stealer and made it _his_ nest!"

"It's not really his fault," argued the grimalkin known as Rumpel, "Flappy just...turned purple and went crazy."

"Sounds like he got tainted by the flippin' Horned One!" theorized Lofty, "don't you worry, we'll knock some sense into youer pal."

"Oh please do!"

Flappy turned out to be an Incineraptor whose territorial nature was made worse by the purple aura.

"Are you flippin' kidding me?" groaned Lofty as the others charged in to attack.

It was a long battle but they at last emerged victorious.

"Rumpel...is that you?" moaned Flappy as he regained his senses.

"You're back!" cheered Rumpel.

"...Then it wasn't a dream?" said the dragon, horrified, "I...I need to go apologize..." he got up and flew away.

They followed after him to the entrance of the cave where the Grimchillas cowered before the dragon until he apologized profusely.

"Alright, alright," yelped the Elder at last, "keep your flamey tail on! We forgive you!"

"What will you do now?" Evan asked Rumpel.

"Well...it would be nice to have a base to come back to when I'm done with my veterinary duties," mused Rumpel, "can we join your army?"

"The more the merrier!"

"Thanks!" To everyone's surprise, the grimalkin climbed on Flappy's back and cheered, "to Evermore!" as they flew off.

Everyone stood around in shocked silence.

"...I think we're going to need to warn everyone before they get there, yeah?" said Bracken.

"I'll do it," volunteered Evan as he realized what he just did. He concentrated and vanished as he and Lofty activated Evermore's trip door.

Even though they wanted to continue exploring, the rest of the party agreed to return to Evermore.

They found a crowd of disbelieving citizens surrounding Evan. Roland and Tani rushed up to Evan's side as he tried to calm the crowd.

"It's true," yelled Roland, "there is a dragon who is on his way to join us but he has been tamed. He wont attack unless provoked."

"Also he's going to be part of the army," added Tani.

"Why didn't you say so in the first place?" Muriel called back, "that's great news for our defenses!"

"Yeah, who would want to mess with a dragon?" someone in the now calming down mob said.

"I have a question," Min Ti pushed her way up front, "where are we going to put a dragon?"

The crowd muttered to each other as they pondered that predicament.

"Aw man," groaned an architect as he retreated to the guild house, "this is going to be my problem, I just know it."

* * *

Day 281/December 28, 20XX

To the architect guild's collective frustration, all of the plans for a dragon den went out the window the next morning when an Incineraptor announced itself as a new citizen of Evermore before flying off to burn a hole into the side of a nearby hill.

Roland merely sighed in relief as he continued with his duties.

* * *

"Things are goin' missin', Yer Majesty," said Niall, "Aye had a set of reports for ye ready to go, too."

"This is strange," pondered Evan, "you're the fifth person to tell me this today."

"Hopefully it's nothin' but a wee prank," sighed Niall. "Also, can Aye have a casino?"

"No."

"Worth a shot."

* * *

Evan watched as Roland emerged from the Earl's apartment with a tired expression he tends to get after being in the Earl's presence for a long time.

"Is everything all right?" Evan asked.

Roland nodded, "It will be."

* * *

Day 284/December 31, 20XX

"I gathered you all here because there have been reports of theft and of a suspicious person lurking about," Leander readjusted his glasses, "These and other certain developments are a cause for concern."

"A robed swab who is a shady thief, eh?" commented Batu, "That ain't good at all." He turned to look at Roland with a slight frown.

"No, it indeed isn't," Roland hastily agreed.

"Could there really be such a person in our kingdom?" Evan asked Leander, the feeling watched sensation growing once more.

"Well...security here isn't exactly air tight," opined Bracken, "doesn't that bandit guy come in here to steal lunches sometimes?"

"It's not him," said Leander, "reports from patrols and scouts say that Tyran is busy dealing with territory issues with other tribes at the moment."

"Well now," Batu shook his head, "Why don't ye say we form a little pow-wow after dinner about how to catch this pilferer of ours, eh?"

"Sounds good to me," agreed Bracken.

"Same here," added Tani.

"Me three!" said Lofty.

"How about you, Roland, lad?" Batu turned to the Chief Consul, "'Tis best to strike when the iron's hot as they say,"

"Can't make it, sorry," Roland spoke up, "I've been working too hard so I need to catch up on sleep."

He was well aware of the stares he was getting, "But if it's urgent, feel free to go on without me."

"Very well," nodded Evan. Well, Roland does work pretty hard..."I hope you enjoy your rest, you deserve it."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," bowed Roland. He then turned and left the throne room while muttering "What a way to end the year..."

Evan's ears picked up a growl from Batu. Hopefully Batu understands, right?

* * *

Day 285/January 1, 20XX

The next day, after Evan finished the morning reports, he watched as Batu turned to Roland, "So Roland, how was your night, last night?"

"Ah, I rested, like I said I'd do," said Roland calmly.

"And after that? Did ya get to meet any...interestin' characters?"

Roland carefully schooled a neutral expression, "What do you mean?"

"I was patrollin' last night to find our thieving friend when I spotted ye," Batu growled, "playing nice with a suspicious hooded fellow. Passin' along some papers. Talkin' about moving on."

"W-what?" gasped Evan. No, this couldn't be true...!

"Huh," said Roland, tilting his head questioningly. This only served to anger Batu even more.

"Don't ye bother denyin' it! Ye're a traitor looking fer better things!"

"Is...is this true?" asked Evan pleadingly, "Roland?" This...this couldn't be happening. Roland promised to stay. They built this kingdom together. Why would he betray everything they worked for?

"Do ye think it's a coincidence things are goin' missin', Yer Majesty," rumbled Batu, "when it's happenin' under this treacherous dog's watch? And who is yer robed pal, eh? Just a friend who came by for a chin wag? I'd like you to explain away that, _Mister President?_ " He hissed at the last two words.

Roland didn't answer. Instead, he just looked away.

"This has to be a mistake, mustn't there?" Evan asked Leander desperately.

"One should not be rushed to judgement on the basis of hearsay," said Leander, "But this...this is highly irregular."

"Leander!" gasped Evan, surprised to see the Junior Consul not rise to Roland's defense.

"There ye have it," Batu raised his fist, "Now come on, sling yer hook like a man before I sling it for ye, ye survy swine!"

Roland sighed, "So that's it, huh? That's how much trust I've earned? Good to know. Maybe I am better off someplace else. Someplace that appreciates my talents."

"You admit it, huh?" shouted Batu as Roland walked out of the throne room.

Roland paused in the doorway, "So long, Batu...Evan." And then he crossed the threshold.

Evan ran after him, his heart squeezed by the shock of betrayal and denial, "Wait, Roland! Don't go!"

He stopped as he caught the sound of teleportation.

Roland's gone.

He's actually gone.

"He didn't even defend himself," said Leander, "Perhaps Batu's accusations were true after all..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Ayyyee, what a way to kick off the new year (well, Roland's new year) huh?
> 
> This chapter went through multiple rewrites before I gave up and summoned Zip's airship scene. Because as it turns out, a couple of side quests that are in this chapter requires the Zippelin to even get there. I think the Grimchilla nest can be reached by normal means but I found it by flying around.
> 
> Somehow Roland and Tiller became friends. idk, maybe the guy needs more friends unrelated to work.
> 
> This chapter was going to end with Batu claiming that Roland's jokes weren't actually funny but it just...killed the mood.
> 
> See y'all next time.


	20. Entry 17 - Investigations

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Batu is having a weird month

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Turns out cousins are visiting next week. Never mind.
> 
> To be honest, I'm not sure what I'm doing with the POV thing. But also, there wont be any diary entries for a while.

The more Batu thought about it, this madness seemed to start after Broadleaf. The moment he returned to Evermore, he felt like he was being watched. For a few days, it seemed to be more prominent in certain rooms.

Tyran, the persistent lout, proved to be a great distraction from Batu's growing unease.

When Evermore's forces returned victorious, Batu found the being watched sensation was lessened and Lofty was grinning smugly. Well now, perhaps the Kingsbond getting stronger is more than a lucky break after all. Or...something. At least the little shit was taking care of it.

After returning from a quick visit to Broadleaf to fight off a whole army of robots, Batu noticed something from the corner of his eye as he walked down the hallway to the kitchens. He stopped to get a closer look.

It was a smaller version of the giant eye that watched over the citizens of Hydropolis. But what was it doing here?

...Why was it here?

Surely the others would have noticed it. Perhaps Lofty already did and that's why the Eye looked so...tiny.

"Perhaps," he said to himself, "Leander is pinin' for Hydropolis."

...What a stupid idea. And yet, for some reason, the idea refused to unstuck itself.

Eventually, Batu reluctantly shrugged and carried on.

* * *

Day 275/December 22, 20XX

"I...that's fascinating," said Leander when Batu came down to the Consul's Office where Leander filled in for Roland while the Chief Consul went to search for that Capstan lad who thought crossing an ocean in a row boat was a good idea. Batu was raised an air pirate and even he knew the idea was foolish.

"You say that you saw a Prying Eye?" asked Leander and after Batu nodded in confirmation, Leander added, "I too found one but it was non-functional."

"Did ye request it durin' the rebuildin'?" asked Batu.

Leander gave the pirate an odd look, "No, I didn't. But I'll look into it."

* * *

Day 277/December 24, 20XX

A couple of days later, the being watched feeling lessened some more. Roland had also returned with Tiller who then joined the shipyard.

"How's everyone?" Roland asked.

"Besides havin' to deal with rattled nerves? We're fine," said Batu.

* * *

Zip Bracken's gift to Evermore was brightest idea the lad ever had. Now, if one of Batu's men could figure out how to replicate the...reactor thing powering the air ship, the sky pirates would be an unstoppable force in Evermore's military if things go south with Evan's world peace plan.

Of course, the dragon made of fire who Evan accidentally invited to live near the kingdom would also be a good back up.

* * *

Mutterings of things missing among ministers and other officials began to rise. The being spied on feeling had greatly diminished by now but it got replaced by important papers vanishing without a trace. Some worried that a thief has been stealing state secrets.

And then a breakthrough came to Batu. One morning, Pilo, one of the sky pirates who followed him to Evermore gave him disturbing news.

"Ye say you saw Roland dealin' with a robed man exchangin' secrets?" Batu stared at the man in disbelief, "Ye sure ye weren't dreamin'?"

"I saw it, boss!" said Pilo desperately, "I know what I saw! I swear it on me life! And when he spotted me lurkin', he came after me with a face as black as thunder! I'm lucky I escaped with all me gizzards!"

"Well..." decided Batu, "I ain't about to believe such things o' one of our own without proof. But...ye seem convinced, Pilo, that's for certain." He thought it over.

He really wished it was a dream Pilo was having but just to be safe, Batu said, "Very well, keep an eye on the swab. See what ye can see."

He really hoped it was a dream.

* * *

Day 284/December 31, 20XX

"I gathered you all here because there have been reports of theft and of a suspicious person lurking about," Leander readjusted his glasses, "These and other certain developments are a cause for concern." No shit, lad.

"A robed swab who is a shady thief, eh?" commented Batu, "That ain't good at all." He turned to look at Roland with a slight frown, Pilo's words rattling in his head.

"No, it indeed isn't," Roland hastily agreed. A little _too_ hasty.

"Could there really be such a person in our kingdom?" Evan asked Leander while Batu got that spying feeling again. In the throne room too? He carefully glanced up. There in a corner was an Eye. _Shit._

"Well...security here isn't exactly air tight," opined Bracken, "doesn't that bandit guy come in here to steal lunches sometimes?" Batu wished it was Tyran but this was...unlike him. Stealing reports and correspondence? Putting up the Eyes that sometimes make you forget about them? The lout is too straightforward for that.

"It's not him," said Leander, confirming Batu's doubts, "reports from patrols and scouts say that Tyran is busy dealing with territory issues with other tribes at the moment." Maybe if he stopped picking fights with a kid, he'd watch his own back.

"Well now," Batu shook his head, "Why don't ye say we form a little pow-wow after dinner about how to catch this pilferer of ours, eh?" With some back up, he could catch this lout if things go awry.

"Sounds good to me," agreed Bracken.

"Same here," added Tani.

"Me three!" said Lofty.

"How about ye, Roland, lad?" Batu turned to the Chief Consul who seemed to be not listening, "'Tis best to strike when the iron's hot as they say."

"Can't make it, sorry," Roland shook his head and dread started to settle in Batu's guts, "I've been working too hard so I need to catch up on sleep." Well...that's true.

He then added when he noticed the disbelieving stares the others were giving him, "But if it's urgent, feel free to go on without me."

"Very well," nodded Evan, who doesn't seem to notice anything amiss, "I hope you enjoy your rest, you deserve it."

"Thank you, Your Majesty," bowed Roland. He left the throne room while muttering "What a way to end the year..." This confused Batu at first because the year doesn't end until the day before Springstart. Oh, right, the lad greatly preferred going by the days he had always known.

But still, the lad's behavior is suspicious...

Godsdammit Pilo.

* * *

That night, the stake out fell apart once nothing came up, Tani fell asleep, and Bracken and Lofty got bored. They all called it off and went to bed. After Batu tucked in Tani to bed, he crept down to the hallway where the room alleged treachery took place.

Batu's heart sank as he watched Roland look around before entering the room. Damn it.

Batu sneaked in and hid behind a stack of crates. A conversation was taking place as he did so.

"I must thank you again for your assistance, Mr. Crane," said a robed man, whose voice was magically masked to hide their true identity. The pattern on the robes Batu vaguely recognized as Dellian in origin. "The items and information you provided would help my...employer a great deal."

"Don't mention it," replied Roland in a businesslike tone as he waved a hand dismissively, "Let me know if there's anything else you need. I'll get it for you."

... _Fuck._

"There's one thing I've been meaning to ask," said the spy, "Why do you serve a kingdom populated by bandits and vagabonds? Surely there are places better suited for you."

"Well...I guess I am used to performing on a higher stage but that was in the past," mused Roland.

"Don't you miss it?"

"I do," Roland looked down at the table in thought.

Batu's heart sank as he heard Roland add, "Maybe it is time I move on to somewhere where my skills would be greatly more appreciated. The word 'enemy' is relative after all..."

"Sage words indeed," agreed the spy, "Well...You have done more than enough to earn our gratitude. Should you wish for a change of scenery, we will welcome you."

Don't take it. Don't take it.

"Thank you."

"That dog..." whispered Batu as disbelief swirled in his heart, "So he's selling his soul to the highest bidder, eh? And if so...then..." Roland has truly betrayed Evermore.

* * *

Day 285/January 1, 20XX

"So Roland how was your night, last night?" Batu asked the traitorous swab the next morning.

"Ah, I rested, like I said I'd do," was the calm reply.

"And after that?" Batu prodded. "Did ye get to meet any...interestin' characters?"

The swine carefully schooled a neutral expression, "What do you mean?"

"I was patrollin' last night to find our thieving friend when I spotted ye," Batu growled, "playing nice with a suspicious hooded fellow. Passin' along some papers. Talkin' about moving on."

"W-what?" gasped Evan. Good. Remind the bastard who he's betraying, lad.

Huh," said Roland, tilting his head questioningly. This only served to anger Batu even more.

"Don't ye bother denyin' it! Ye're a traitor looking fer better things!"

"Is...is this true?" asked Evan pleadingly, "Roland?" You can just hear the boy's heart breaking. Do you see what you're doing Roland?

"Do ye think it's a coincidence things are goin' missin', Yer Majesty," rumbled Batu, "when it's happenin' under this treacherous dog's watch? And who is yer robed pal, eh? Just a friend who came by for a chin wag? I'd like you to explain away that, _Mister President?_ " He hissed at the last two words.

Roland didn't answer. Instead, he just looked away.

"This has to be a mistake, mustn't there?" Evan asked Leander desperately.

"One should not be rushed to judgement on the basis of hearsay," said Leander, who is surprisingly calm about this turn of events, "But this...this is highly irregular."

"Leander!" gasped Evan, surprised to see the Junior Consul not rise to Roland's defense. And why should he?

"There ye have it," Batu raised his fist, "Now come on, sling yer hook like a man before I sling it for ye, ye survy swine!"

Roland sighed, "So that's it, huh? That's how much trust I've earned? Good to know. Maybe I am better off someplace else. Someplace that appreciates my talents."

"You admit it, huh?" shouted Batu as the ex-Chief Consul walked out of the throne room.

Roland paused in the doorway, "So long, Batu...Evan." And then he crossed the threshold.

"Wait, Roland!" Evan ran after him, his eyes watery, "Don't go!" He stopped in his tracks as they all heard the sound of teleportation.

"He didn't even defend himself," said Leander, "Perhaps Batu's accusations were true after all..." Damn straight they were.

"R-roland," whimpered Evan.

* * *

Evan refused to speak to anyone for a day. Batu hated seeing the lad like this and it made him angrier at Roland even more.

But to prevent panic and unrest among the kingdom, Batu agreed that it would be best if word didn't spread about the swine's treachery and banishment.

The only bright spot was that the Prying Eyes Batu has been spotting everywhere didn't give him the creeps anymore. They must've deactivated when Roland left.

But did he have to put them all over the place? No wonder everyone was on edge when in the castle. And this was with multiple Eyes! How did Hydropolitans put up with that big one for so long?

Yet...something didn't seem right about this. Roland gave up way too easily. He didn't bother to defend himself. And by the Kingmaker, he'll argue for hours if you let him. That incident was prime for a marathon of words that never happened.

The next hint something wasn't right was when the Earl spluttered when he was told of the incident.

"My word. Roland Crane a traitor?" he said in disbelief, "That's...that's preposterous! Why would he work so hard to help our King elevate Evermore only to throw it all away?"

"Because he wants more power," explained Batu, "I caught him saying it to his thieving pal the other night."

"T-there must be some kind of mistake," argued the Earl.

"He admitted it in the throne room before kickin' himself out."

"Then..." the Earl's fur puffed up slightly as he got angry, "good riddance! We should've never trusted that...nobody to be around King Evan in the first place!" He stomped away theatrically.

That was odd. Lord Summerlands defending Roland only to immediately back down? The man should be joyful about this. He's pretty damn obvious about how jealous he is about Roland's influence on the king.

Something's off but Batu's not sure what it is.

* * *

Batu caught the sound of sniffling from Tani's room. Concerned, he peeked in through the slightly open doorway and spotted Evan trying his best to not sob into Tani's shoulder.

 _Are ye happy now, ye treacherous swine?_ thought Batu. _Is hurting Evan worth it?_

* * *

Day 289/January 5, 20XX

Two evenings later, the Earl rushed over to Batu in a panic, "Minister, it's urgent!" He lead Batu to his apartment and pointed at the Eye in the corner of his room. It seemed...shriveled.

"Why in the hells is there a Prying Eye in my suite?!"

"Who would spy on ye?" asked Batu.

"That's what I would like to know! But...if I could only guess, it would be my former colleagues in Ding Dong Dell. Gods know they must be clamoring for my title..."

...Eyes...Ding Dong Dell...Wasn't there someone from Ding Dong Dell who arrived recently? Master...something. Wizard guy. Grimalkin.

"Master Tomca," Batu muttered.

"W-what did you say?" asked the Earl.

"Why don't we get that Master Tomca guy to look into it?"

An odd look crossed the Earl's mushed face, "Master Tomca? When did he arrive?"

"During yer ride to Broadleaf."

"Did he ever say what he was doing after the coup?" said Earl in a weird tone.

"He said he was communin' with nature in a cave somewhere," Batu had a terrible feeling.

"Hang on," the Earl rushed out of his suite and was shouting at Lady Penelope's door. A few minutes later, he returned with an unimpressed Lady.

"What is going on?" she asked, "Does it have to do with a Prying Eye stuck on my knife?"

"Tell her who is here, Mr. Batu," the Earl ordered.

"Do ye know a Master Tomca?" said Batu.

The Lady paled, "He's here?"

"Aye. What's wrong?"

"Master Tomca died during the coup," said the Earl. "We know this because we were the ones who found his head unattached to his neck."

Well...shit.

* * *

"Khunbish, I have a mission for ye," Batu told the younger man the next morning.

"What is it chief?"

"I want ye to go to Ding Dong Dell and bring Roland home."

Khunbish stared at his chief in surprise, "But...he's a traitor!"

"I have a feelin' something is not quite right here," explained Batu, "And if my hunch is correct, the idiot jumped into the deep end."

"But why me?" asked Khunbish, still in shock from the betrayal a few days ago.

"He might trust you enough to return. I think...he made himself a target for the real traitor to sniff out."

"But why didn't he say so?" Khunbish sounded hurt.

"Nobody said spying would be easy," said Batu, "Now go. Bring our Chief Consul home before Evan drowns us all."

"Aye, sir." He rushed off towards the hangers.

Batu hoped to see both lads again soon.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Pilo is based on the word 'pilot.' Since, y'know, sky pirates.
> 
> Batu doing his own sleuthing is happening because I always wondered why he would send Khunbish after Roland since Roland kinda exiled himself for treason. So here's my take on that.
> 
> Next chapter is tomorrow because I am on a roll this week.


	21. Entry 18 - Justice

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Wow, glad I'm not that guy

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> (Double posting today. Chapter 20 was posted around midnight earlier today (July 4) in case anyone's a bit confused over email alerts.)
> 
> To be honest, this chapter was partially written before the previous two. I got stuck and changed plans.
> 
> Also, just a heads up, it's gonna get violent around the end. Let's just say Batu happened.

* * *

Day 278/December 25, 20XX

A robed figure grinned as he viewed what the Prying Eyes have been recording. He had planted the Eyes while King Evan was off rescuing that merfolk bard who then joined the kingdom in gratitude. Lord Vermine assigned him to this task because he was more worried than King Mausinger about what Evermore may be plotting. What if King Evan decides to declare war on Ding Dong Dell? What if he was planning revenge on mousekind?

"I'm counting on you, Pippin," said Lord Vermine, "but I must warn you, if you get caught, you are on your own. His Majesty will need some plausibility to the other nations if you are compromised."

And so, Pippin Squeak traveled to Evermore and took advantage of the castle's renovations to set up scrying equipment in a spare room in their new house. Since the Kingmaker wasn't present when he installed the Eyes, the Kingmaker wont be able to tell if the Eyes were part of the renovations or not.

The plan was to grow the Eyes to a decent size, wait for a partner to arrive so they can observe the Castle in shifts, write down what was recorded so far, and send the transcriptions to Lord Vermine.

The Prying Eye in the Chief Consul's office had some hiccups at first because the former Archon would bespell the room from such things when he filled in during Roland Crane's absence. The Chief Consul himself apparently never had to account for magical means of spying and so far has remained oblivious.

The Minister of War had noticed one of the eyes once. He stopped and stared at it for a good long while before he wondered out loud if that was just a sculpture to make the Junior Consul feel less homesick. He continued on walking.

Unfortunately, the Prying Eyes in the personal apartments of the King, his ministers, and a few others never fully matured.

The former Earl's Eye works once in a while and all it shows is him reading. The Eye in the one named Lady Penelope's apartment only showed her sewing once before it went out.

With the presence of mages in the kingdom, it would be a surprise if there wasn't protection spells in place. But the throne room had none. Thus Pippin was able to obtain important information.

Like right now, King Evan is in the throne room discussing with most of his advisors on what to do next.

"All we have left for the Declaration is Ding Dong Dell," said Crane, "But...it will be hard to approach."

"Indeed, we will need to find a way to get King Mausinger to hear us out," agreed Aristides.

"And with the Horned One's resurrection growing closer thanks to Doloran, we can't afford such strife," mused King Evan.

"You think Doloran will go after Mausinger's kingsbond too?" asked the new minister from Broadleaf.

"There's a great chance that he'll do so," said the Junior Consul.

"If we had a way to get that cowardly swab I'd reckon we take care of him first," grumbled the minister of war.

"Unfortunately," Crane shook his head, "we don't. Our best - what is that noise?" He turned to the window as he heard a loud mechanical sound.

They all turned to the window and gasped as someone shouted, "HEY GUYS! IS THERE ROOM FOR ONE MORE?"

A few minutes later, a guard rushed into the throne room, "Your Majesty, President Zip Vector wishes to speak with you."

* * *

To Pippin's horror, President Vector offered King Evan an airship. Which meant that Evermore could bypass border patrols and walk into Ding Dong Dell.

There was a clanging sound coming from nearby the Kingdom. Curious, Pippin emerged from his hideout and followed the trail of curious citizens to the beach.

Bracken Meadows was dismantling the airship and ignoring President Vector's protests.

The only thing she and a few others eventually removed was the giant Vector face that adorned the airship. Everyone (including Pippin, reluctantly) agreed that the improved airship looked a lot better.

"Ah, can you get me a ride home?" President Vector asked.

* * *

Day 280/December 27, 20XX

The airship returned to Evermore two days later. There was talk about a dragon being granted citizenship and a spot in the army but Pippin scoffed at the idea.

Who would be crazy enough to do that?

But then rumors went around that an Incineraptor was spotted nesting in the hills nearby. At night, you can hear draconian roars.

Maybe King Evan really does plan to start a war with Ding Dong Dell.

* * *

Day 281/December 28, 20XX

Pippin was reviewing the previous day's recordings when he spotted movement in a storage room in the castle. What's this?

It was Crane negotiating with a robed figure. The robes had sigils that were of Dellian origin. Ah, so the back up has finally arrived.

Crane handed the other spy a stack of papers. They looked it over for a moment before nodding.

"This is promising," said the spy, whose voice was magically altered but years of training around that would tell you that the spy is male, "Now as for your payment..." He handed Crane a device that Pippin recognized as a light bomb. It is usually used for escaping.

Pippin looked back at several recordings for the room. For several nights before Crane had ran off to rescue a sailor, there would be an exchange of papers and gadgets. What is Crane up to?

He check on it again after the next night and found similar results. Oh this is _fascinating_. Has Crane been committing treason this whole time?

* * *

Day 283/December 30, 20XX

Tonight, a sky pirate walked into the scene and fled when he was spotted. It was a shame that Crane didn't get to kill him before he could tell anyone because on the next night, the War Minister sneaked in and listened.

"I must thank you again for your assistance, Mr. Crane," said the second spy, "the items and information you provided would help my...employer a great deal."

"Don't mention it," Crane waved a dismissive hand, his tone businesslike, "Let me know if you need anything else."

"There's one thing I've been meaning to ask," Crane's contact tilted his head questioningly, "why do you serve a realm populated by bandits and vagabonds? Surely there are places that are better suited to someone with great talent such as yours?"

Crane smiled as he wistfully replied, "Well...I guess I am kinda used to performing on a larger stage, but that was in the past."

"Don't you miss it?"

"I do," Crane looked down at the table in thought. He then added, "Maybe it is time I move on to somewhere where my skills would be greatly more appreciated. The word 'enemy' is relative after all..."

"Sage words indeed," agreed the spy, "Well...You have done more than enough to earn our gratitude. Should you wish for a change of scenery, we will welcome you."

"Thank you."

That wasn't actually a bad idea. From what they have gathered, Crane had helped build Evermore from the ground up. His skills in diplomacy were legendary. He'd be a great asset to Ding Dong Dell.

 **Why not ask him to join the Dellian cause, mun?** said a stray thought.

Yeah...that sounds like a plan.

* * *

Day 285/January 1, 20XX

Pippin made his move after Crane escaped from Evermore before Chief Batu could send the guards after him. He found Crane wandering aimlessly in the grasslands. Warrior instincts caused the man to quickly sense the spy's movements.

"Who are you?" he asked as he turned around.

Pippin, in what he hoped was an accurate sky pirate disguise, said, "Ah, forgive Chief Consul...or should I say former Chief Consul."

Crane sighed, "Well, I guess you saw that, too, huh?" There was a flicker of light as he prepared his arms band, "What do you want with me?"

"Why, to engage your services, of course! You have information that would be quite useful to us, I'm sure."

"What do you have in mind?" smiled Crane.

"For you? Oh plenty, my friend, plenty. But if you wish to know more, you'll need to speak with my master."

"And who would that be?" asked Crane.

"Oh don't be so coy, man. It's King Mausinger, of course."

"Well, well," said Crane cheerfully, "Looks like I landed right on my feet."

* * *

The journey to Ding Dong Dell was a quick one. Crane used a trip door that was closest to the river that bordered the kingdom. However, he had to rely on his new comrade to vouch for him to the border guards. From there he was lead into Ding Dong Dell where mice and humans co-existed but there was a very noticeable lack of grimalkin in a kingdom where grimalkin lived and ruled for centuries.

Crane didn't seem to pay attention to the stares or whispers as people spotted him as he walked up to the castle.

Once inside, he looked around with a victorious smirk.

Pippin waved him over, "King Mausinger awaits for you in the throne room. Just go straight ahead. This is where I leave you. Good luck on your future endeavors."

"Where will you be?" asked Crane.

"I will be returning to Evermore to continue my mission."

"Ah. Then farewell and good luck," said Crane, still smirking.

* * *

Day 287/January 3, 20XX

Pippin returned to Evermore in his original disguise. He noted the tension that seemed to ripple in the air. Did everyone find out about Crane's betrayal so quickly?

He checked Leafbook for an idea of the citizen's thoughts.

[Edna: I heard some shouting from the throne room the other day. I wonder what happened?

Floyd: The Ministers are tighter-lipped than usual. I hope everything's okay.

Linda: I heard rumors that there's a spy lurking in the castle.

Edna: I guess...they caught them?]

* * *

Day 290/January 6, 20XX

King Evan has been doing his best to hide how hurt he is but its clear that from the throne room recordings that he's not taking Crane's betrayal well. The boy clearly has never been taught to how to restrict tail movement in order to prevent miscommunication and diplomatic missteps.

It's making Pippin's job much easier.

* * *

Day 292/January 8, 20XX

Pippin was about to finish making tea when there was a knock on his front door.

"Master Tomca! Are you there?" called a woman's voice.

With a quick change on his glamor spells, Master Tomca called back, "Oh yes, I am!" He opened the door and was greeted by the sight of a rich woman holding a container of tea biscuits.

"Oh, purrfect timing," said Tomca as he felt compelled to do so, "I was just about to make some tea. Would you like some?"

"Certainly," smiled the woman.

Tomca went over to the cupboard and removed an extra plate, tea cup, and spoon from it. He carefully carried the items to the table and set up a spot for the woman. She gracefully set down her tea biscuits. Tomca poured the tea into the cups and set down the tea pot.

"My apologies," the woman sipped her tea, "I wasn't aware you have survived the coup as well. Where were you?"

"I was purrfecting my magic, ma'am," excused Tomca, "in hopes of purrtecting our new King purropurrly."

The woman blinked, "Oh, I'm sorry. Let me introduce myself. I am Lady Penelope. I had seen you around King Leonhard's court a few times."

"A purreasure to meet you, Milady."

 **Look over there, mun.** Tomca turned to look at the fireplace where the kettle rested on the mantel. Ah, so he remembered to leave it off the fire this time.

He turned back to his guest who was daintily nibbling on a biscuit. He sipped his own cup.

"I say," the Lady set down the remains of her biscuit, "since when did you start picking up that dialect? Nobody has used that for...five hundred years, I believe."

"A few months ago, I thought going back to my..." Odd, why is it getting wobbly in here? "Er...my roots would be..."

"Are you alright?" Penelope asked, concerned.

"I..." He stood up only to collapse from the sudden vertigo.

"W-what did...you...do to...me?" Tomca gasped.

"You fool. Did you really think nobody would notice?" Penelope sipped her own tea cup. "Did you really think a Kingmaker would allow spies to operate unopposed? Have you ever considered that I saw Master Tomca, a man I knew for years, being very dead?"

Shit.

"Your little spy game was doomed from the start," said Penelope triumphantly, "Mr. Crane and Mr. Aristides were just humoring you."

"Then-" everything is getting fuzzy.

The last thing Pippin heard was "You may come in now," and he faintly saw Chief Batu calmly entering the room with a feral grin.

* * *

He woke up to the sun and cold wind bearing down on him. His foot scraped against hard dirt. Wait. Where is he?

He opened his eyes and saw mountains in the distance.

"So, mousey boy has decided to join us, eh?" said a nearby voice.

"W-what?" he tried to say but found his mouth stuffed with cloth. He tried raising his hand to pull it out but found his wrists in a stock. He twisted around and saw his mouse tail behind him. He focused and for a moment a glamor spell flickered before failing.

_Oh fuck._

Chief Batu, a couple of Sky Pirates, and Evermore's Kingmaker entered his line of sight.

"Ye really think ye can pull a fast one on us, eh?" Batu grinned nastily.

"You gotta be flippin' touched in the flippin' head if you think I wouldn't notice all them flippin' Eyes everywhere, mun," said the Kingmaker.

"Roland lured ye out and ye fell for it," added Batu.

They knew. They knew from the start.

"Evermore is Sky Pirate territory, ye see," said Batu before turning to the small crowd of sky pirates behind him, "What do we do with intruders, lads?"

"We toss 'em!" someone shouted and their comrades cheered in agreement.

"Well, ye heard 'em," Batu lifted the struggling prisoner, "the penalty for tresspassin' and stirrin' trouble is...death."

Pippin's muffled cries for mercy went unheard as he was dangled over the cliff side.

"Flippin' sucks to be you, mun," the Kingmaker waved goodbye.

Batu used all of his strength to throw him.

Pippin screamed as much as he could as he quickly reached the jagged ground. His head bashed against a pointy rock and he knew no more.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So...uh...yeah. That happened. :O
> 
> I originally was going to refer Pippin as 'the spy' and use they/them pronouns to hide his identity until the last minute but then the other 'spy' showed up and it all got confusing.
> 
> (Pippin pretty much confirmed it to Penelope that he's an imposter the moment he failed to instantly recognize her.)
> 
> I will explain everything in the next chapter because technically this arc isn't over yet.


	22. Entry 19 - Where your loyalties lie

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> How far will you prove your allegiance?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Splitting this chapter into two because of thematic reasons. So this is part 1 of today's update (7/6/18).
> 
> Also: That One Scene from Chapter/Act 7 is in here and That Dream is back. So...yeah.

Day 290/January 6, 20XX

Evan refused to believe Roland was a traitor. How could he? He's been part of Evermore from the start. He didn't truly know about the world for at least two months. Who or what in this world would Roland betray Evermore for?

Batu had sent Khunbish after Roland. Evan hoped that Batu wasn't planning to kill him. He'd rather prefer Roland alive but exiled than dead.

Evan hoped Khunbish wouldn't succeed. He and Roland are friends. Khunbish wouldn't hurt his friend, would he?

Evan sighed. Oh, why must he fool himself. Life doesn't work like that. The sky pirates consider Evermore a second home and he knew what sky pirates would do if they caught Roland. He and Evan almost experienced it themselves months ago just for tresspassing.

_Please come home, Roland._

* * *

Day 291/January 7, 20XX

Roland had a feeling that King Mausinger and Chancellor Vermine don't actually trust him. Not yet. They have given him a place to sleep, sure, but the duties he has been assigned to are rather light.

He had spotted human maids and guards he had encountered months ago during the coup. But he hasn't attempted contact in fear that any wrong choice of words or actions would jeopardize his mission. Any of them could be loyal to the new regime.

But one of them could be loyal to the House of Tildrum. And if so...he cringed.

_"All I want is power and maybe a little money too," he had said to Mausinger in his initial meeting with him a few days ago, "Give me those and I'll give you what you want. I'll even give you Evan."_

He died a little inside from haggling Evan's life like that. Fortunately, Mausinger didn't immediately jump on that. It would be suicide to kidnap Evan under Batu's watch right now. He had a feeling the man would happily toss him off a cliff and no one would question Batu's decision.

Roland wondered if the spy sent from Ding Dong Dell managed to get out of dodge before he was caught. If not...then...well, it's not really Roland's problem.

He also wondered if Evan was doing okay. The staged betrayal Roland, Leander, and Lofty plotted would surely hurt him greatly. But someday, Evan will understand why Roland did it.

* * *

_"It's too late for that," said Sean's corpse._

_Roland watched in horror as Sean crumbled into dust which then was blown away._

_The last of the dust revealed Evan who, while alive and unharmed, looked at him with a crushed expression._

_"You too?" said Evan, "You're just going to leave me behind like the others?"_

_"Evan," Roland whispered as his own skin burned, "I'm sorry."_

_Evan shook his head, "No. You're not."_

* * *

Day 293/January 9, 20XX

Roland woke up and found himself unharmed and in an unfamiliar bed. He looked around in bewilderment before he remembered where he was.

He sighed and got up to ready himself for the day.

He heard a knock on his door a few minutes later and opened it to reveal a mouse maid who had a breakfast plate in her hands. She looked around in the hallway and saw no one around.

"How's Persha?" she asked as she handed over the plate.

"Er, doing well," said Roland, confused.

"I'm glad," she quickly left the room.

Roland ate his breakfast wondering what that was about.

* * *

[PRIVATE MESSAGE FROM RATJA TO PERSHA]

Ratja: I've seen him this morning. He's unharmed.

Persha: Good.

Ratja: Is...Evan okay?

Persha: He's getting better at coping.

Persha: If I hadn't noticed the Prying Eyes in the scullery cabinets earlier I would've asked you to poison Mr. Roland's tea.

Ratja: And I would be glad to do so.

Ratja: What kind of amateur hides prying eyes in a scullery?

Persha: An unnecessarily thorough one.

* * *

"Ah, Mr. Crane," said King Mausinger cheerfully in a rather ominous manner, "Good morning."

"Good morning, Your Majesty," greeted Roland, cautious.

"I am aware how you've worked hard here, Mr. Crane," smirked Mausinger, "which is why I prepared a test for you in the dungeons."

"A test?" Roland had a bad feeling about this.

"Yes, let us see how...fluid you are with your loyalties like you have claimed to be."

Roland followed Mausinger and Chancellor Vermine to the dungeons. The trio themselves were accompanied by a couple of guards and a mage who Roland assumed was there for...insurance.

And then at last they reach the deepest level of the dungeons. Roland noticed movement in one of the cells and made himself head over to the occupied cell as he felt dread.

"Roland!" said Khunbish as he stepped towards the bars, "I finally found ye!"

"What are you doing here?" asked Roland, surprised.

"We apprehended this man after we noticed him flying suspiciously in our air space," sniffed Vermine, "It is our belief that he is a spy." How...ironic.

"I was looking for Roland!" argued Khunbish.

"Well," shrugged Roland, "you found me. Now what?"

"We come home!" And face Batu's wrath? No thanks.

Roland sighed as he realized why Khunbish is in the dungeons. Suddenly some of the tools Leander gave him makes a lot more sense now.

"But Khunbish," he smiled wickedly, "I _am_ home."

"W-what?"

"Excellent," said Mausinger, "Then you should pass this test with flying colors. Show us, Mr. Crane, where your allegiance truly lies."

"What does he mean by that Roland?"

"If you're ready to show you're willing to serve a new master," continued Mausinger, "then kill him."

"But I'm yer friend, Roland!" pleaded Khunbish as Roland raised an eyebrow at the request.

"Really?" huffed Vermine, "I'd thought you would have better taste in associates, Mr. Crane."

Roland paused and steadied himself to hush the swirl of despair inside him. There's really no way to get out of this, is there? Besides the...

_I'm sorry, Khunbish._

"Why the hesitation?" observed Mausinger, "Surely you are capable of a straightforward method of commitment?" His eyes narrowed, "Or is there an imposter in our midst?"

You have no idea.

Roland huffed, "Don't get ahead of yourself. Let's just say I prefer to use my own methods."

Khunbish started to back away as Roland got closer, "Roland, for gods' sake! Think what ye're doin'! Ye can't just-"

"Sorry," and Roland really meant it as he raised his pistol, "but it's nothing personal."

Quickly, he winked and watched as Khunbish tilt his head in confusion.

"You were just in the wrong place at the wrong time." Roland aimed his gun and Khunbish immediately cowered.

"Curse ye, fer the traitor ye really are!" Khunbish shouted.

Roland fired the gun twice, unblinking. He watched as Khunbish collapsed to the ground, his consciousness fading as the enchanted bullets' effects took hold.

Roland looked back at Mausinger, "Well...happy now?"

Mausinger replied, impressed, "Happy enough."

Roland hoped this was worth it.

* * *

Vermine waited until the guards followed His Majesty and Mr. Crane as they left. He beckoned the mage who had the sense to stay behind.

"Young Gregory," said Vermine, "Tell me," he pointed to the corpse in the cell, "is he truly dead?"

The mage concentrated as he focused on searching for life signs in the body.

After a minute he turned to the Chancellor and shook his head, "Yes, he's dead."

"Excellent, then dispose of -" Vermine paused. He then smiled wickedly.

"Can you ward the dungeons so we can be alerted that Crane or any of his former allies would try to abscond with our dearly departed friend?" he asked.

"Certainly," said Gregory.

* * *

Day 295/January 11, 20XX

"It's been days, mun," complained Lofty, "When's Rolly-boy comin' back, eh?"

"Khunbish hasn't returned either," added Tani, concerned.

"I hope they're alright," said Evan.

"What if Roland and Khunbish are in danger?" shivered Tani before looking up at Batu pleadingly, "We should go and rescue them!"

Batu scoffed, "They can take care of themselves, lass. And besides, Roland needs nothin' from us anymore! He gets nothin' in return! Just like a turncoat traitor deserves!"

Evan sighed, "I refuse to believe it," he shook his head. "It...it must be some sort of strategy of his! Right, Leander?" He turned to Leander in hopes that the Junior Consul would agree.

To Evan's disappointment, Leander readjusted his glasses and said, "I would advise you to forget about him, Your Majesty. He is no longer our concern."

"You too?!" Evan groaned as his ears flattened.

Tani growled, "Talk about cold! Wasn't Roland one of our best friends five minutes ago?"

"Not anymore he isn't," Batu looked away, refusing to look at the kids. If he lost his resolve now, then the jig would be up.

_Damn ye, Roland. Why couldn't ye just ask us to help ye?_

* * *

"Sean...Evan...I can explain," groaned Roland in his sleep.

In the corner of his ill-begotten room was a Prying Eye.

"I'm sorry..."


	23. Entry 20 - But I did see it coming

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> *Life Will Change plays in the distance*

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Anyway, this is part 2 of today's update (7/6/18). Go back a chapter if you haven't done so already.

Day 296/January 12, 20XX

There has to be an explanation for this, Evan decided. None of this made any sense.

...Of course! The diary! It might hold a clue!

He waited until evening to sneak into Roland's room. The door was surprisingly unlocked.

He opened it and found Tani about to open a desk drawer. She looked up in surprise before sighing in relief.

"Blimey, it's only you," she then pointed at the desk, "you thought about it too?"

"Yes," Evan replied as he quietly shut the door and walked over to the desk, "I want to know why Roland would do this."

"Me too," agreed Tani, "it doesn't make any sense." She opened the drawer, revealing a box of tea bags. She shook her head and closed it.

Evan wasn't having much luck either. The drawer he opened contained a piece of paper cut in the shape of an arrow. It was positioned to point downward. Evan and Tani stared at it in confusion. Tani frowned as she thought it over.

"It's a clue," she decided.

"A clue to what?"

"Not what. _Where._ " Tani followed the direction the arrow was pointing.

It lead to the unlit fireplace.

She and Evan investigated the area around it and found nothing. Evan sat down in front of the fireplace.

"Nothing," he sighed, frustrated, "There's nothing here!" His tail thumped and hit something solid in the hearth. Curious, he sat up and stepped aside to allow Tani to knelt down and investigate. She brushed away some ashes and found a book.

She brushed more ashes off and retrieved the now somewhat sooty diary out of the hearth. There was a bookmark inserted between the pages.

They opened the diary to where the bookmark was placed.

_Th ose fools! I can't believe that nobody has actually figured it out that I was an actual plant working for the true King! Soon, I will make my move so I can truly stake my claim on this world. Evan is a mere stepping stone and I'll bet he never womdered why I choose to stay with him for so long._

_This world shall be mine!_

_Bwahahahaha!_

They both stared at the entry in disbelief.

"...What?" they both said.

* * *

[Later that night in Ding Dong Dell]

Roland was surprised Captain Buck took the bait and changed the guards' late night patrols. One would think that the mice would be more cautious now that they are in charge of the kingdom.

...Well, there's no use worrying about it now. He had a mission to fulfill.

As Roland quietly walked up steps he last saw when he stumbled into this world back in March, he recalled all those months ago when the ship was at last ready to sail to Hydropolis. Back then they considered Ding Dong Dell as a candidate for the treaty but with so many soldiers guarding the borders, there was no way they could get through peacefully.

 **[** _"There's one way we could try," said Evan, "It's a path only open to the royal family called the Kingsway."_

_"Why haven't you mentioned it before?" asked Tani._

_"Well...its because we wont be able to access it without the Mark of Kings."_

_"What's that?" asked Roland._

_"It's a pendant passed down ruler to ruler," explained Evan, "it serves as proof of the right to rule Ding Dong Dell. It's also a key that allows the user to get into certain secret places."_

_"Well, then we shall assume that Mausinger is looking for it too," mused Roland._

_Evan nodded before looking down at his feet, "It...it was given to me when my father died. But...well..."_

_"Ye left it behind when ye skedaddled, eh?" guessed Batu, "So where did ye squirrel it away?"_

_"There are rooms hidden in the castle, you see," said Evan, "They were designed so the royal family can hide in case of an emergency. With the help of the Mark, they could even escape. I thought it would be safest to hide it in the one connected to my chambers..."_

_"But then I appeared out from thin air just as all hell broke loose," guessed Roland._

_"I don't think anyone knows about my chamber's hidden room," Evan thought it over, "so Mausinger probably hasn't found the Mark yet. If he knew that the switch was in a statue sitting in a corner of the room..."_

_"This is very interesting and all," interrupted Tani, "But we can't exactly get into Ding Dong Dell to get the thing to help us get into there. That's not very useful, now is it?"_

_"I suppose not..."_ **]**

Roland found himself in front of a pair of familiar doors. He tried the handle and found that it wouldn't move.

 _Well, obviously it's locked_ , he thought. He concentrated and his arms band sparked before he retrieved a worm like creature. He held it close to the key hole and the creature nodded before transforming into a key.

With the doors unlocked, Roland entered the room and found that nothing has changed since he last saw it.

Now where is the statue? He looked around and spotted a catlike bust in the far left hand corner of the room. He examined the statue before finding a button. He pressed it and immediately, the platform holding Evan's old bed moved aside to reveal a hidden passage. Roland entered it and walked down the hallway to a room that merely contained a treasure chest.

He opened the chest and the first thing he noticed was a sword. It must've been for Evan's protection, he figured. Well, it can still be useful for its intended owner so Roland stored it into his arms band.

The item hidden underneath the sword was a green pendant.

"So," Roland wondered out loud, "this must be the Mark of Kings."

...But didn't Mausinger describe it as red?

And then Roland realized, "Very clever, Your Majesty. Sending me off on a wild goose chase like that...Guess he never trusted me as he pretended to after all."

...Wait a minute.

"Or...was he using me to find the Mark?"

He heard footsteps behind him.

_Shit._

"What are you doing in here?!" demanded a guard.

"Oh..." said Roland casually, "just looking for something."

"And you must've found it, I see," Mausinger entered the room accompanied by a few guards, Captain Buck, and Chancellor Vermine, "we looked for the Mark everywhere yet it was here the whole time. I recall you saying that it was in Evermore around King Evan's neck? I'm very disappointed that you chose to deceive your new master, Mr. Crane."

"Well," smirked Roland, "all's fair in love and war."

"Indeed," agreed Mausinger, "and I'm very glad to have never believed you even for just a moment. Now, would you be so kind and hand over the Mark?"

"I'm sorry," grinned Roland, "but the Mark belongs to the king. My king."

"Of course," he added as he watched Mausinger hissed in rage, "If you sign the Declaration, I'll be happy to make a trade..."

"You speak of your pathetic Union," growled Mausinger, "you are in no position to negotiate."

"Not interested, huh? Well, let me know when you change your mind."

"To send a spy was most cunning of young Evan," said Mausinger, "I must confess that I had not thought of the boy to capable of such subterfuge."

"Well," admitted Roland, "he's not about to poison rivals anytime soon but...he's coming along."

"Ha! Very droll, but you of all people surely understand that no dream worthy of the name can be achieved without a few...sacrifices," Mausinger clenched his fist, "But it had to be done and I'll do it again in a heartbeat. My people had suffered far too long under the rule of the grimalkin and I dreamed that someday our oppressors would prostate themselves at our feet."

"So...Revenge."

"Call it however you like but I have achieved my dream and a new era has risen!"

"So, tell me," demanded Roland, "if your people were so downtrodden, then how did you become Leonhard's Chancellor?"

"Peh! I was merely used to be an unwitting tool for my persecutor to make sure my people remained compliant."

"Well," shrugged Roland as he recalled what Evan told him Mausinger was like when Evan was younger, "whatever makes you sleep at night."

He then grunted as an arrow embedded itself in his arm. Vermine had grabbed a guard's crossbow to silence him but didn't quite hit the target. The chancellor handed back the crossbow, emitting a familiar purple aura. Interesting...

"I'm done listening to this traitor," he declared, "we should kill him here and now."

"Hmm," Mausinger brushed his beard as he watched Roland struggle to pull out the arrow from his arm, "very well." He signaled the guards to attack.

* * *

[Meanwhile]

Doloran watched from his scrying cauldron in fascination as Roland blinded the guards with a light-based Higgledy and ran for it.

He chuckled, "Well, well, Roland. I didn't think you had it in you."

Roland in the cauldron, after dodging many arrows and spells as he ran through the castle, at last reached his destination: The dungeons where Khunbish was kept.

Here, Roland truly understood that no one in Ding Dong Dell trusted him when he flung a spare pencil at the bars and it exploded, taking the wards with it. He set down a revival device that woke up a startled Khunbish who then had a frog curse spell shoved down his throat.

...Wait.

"No!" Doloran shouted.

Roland swallowed his own spell.

A bright yellow frog croaked in rage as the link at this very moment decided now was a good time to synchronize. Doloran could feel from his kingsbond a wave of amusement.

"This is not funny, Alisandra!" he croaked.

This is going to take hours to wear off...

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Holy crap this has been a ride and a half. But we're not out of Chapter 7 hell just yet. orz
> 
> EDIT: wtf, AO3, why did you punch the diary entry's formatting orz


	24. Entry 21 - Homecoming

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The first half took me days to get through. I'm just happy I finally got out of it.

Day 297/January 13, 20XX

The more Evan thought about it, the more everything got clearer.

First, there was the weird feeling of being watched everywhere. Then things started disappearing. Then Roland started acting really weird before Batu found out what he had allegedly been up to. Roland left Evermore with the crime of treason over his head.

A couple days later, Batu sent Khunbish after Roland. Then he and Lofty went somewhere and they refuse to tell him where they went. Whatever they did cause the spied on feeling to completely vanish.

Then there's Leander who has been standoffish and refuses to believe that Roland may be innocent.

Lili and Hau Ling haven't been helpful at all with their predictions. They keep saying that 'the stars are clouded on the matter' and Evan can't help but feel that they're doing that on purpose.

Why is nearly everyone older than him so frustrating?

If Evan and Tani hadn't tracked down the diary, Evan would still be in the dark.

Speaking of the diary...

**[** Tani and Evan stared at the entry in disbelief.

"...What?" they both said.

"Did...did he write in an evil laugh?" Evan checked the entry again.

_This world shall be mine!_

_Bwahahahaha!_

"This doesn't make any sense!" Tani complained as Evan reread the diary.

"What doesn't make sense?" asked Bracken from the doorway and both preteens froze. Bracken's eyes flickered to the diary, the soot covered children, and the dirt all over the floor.

"What did you guys do?" she demanded.

"...Looked for clues," said Tani and Evan guiltily.

Bracken stared at them before looking around in the hallway. She stepped inside the room and closed the door.

"Alright," she said as she walked over, "what did you find out?"

"What?" Evan was stunned. She didn't know what's going on either?

"Lofty is being smug, Batu keeps doing his...angry thing, Miss Penelope just goes 'hmmm' if I ask, and Leander and that Earl just wont say anything," Bracken complained, "I mean...what the he...ck is even going on?"

"That's what we want to know," sighed Tani.

"This is what we found," Evan handed over the now slightly dusty diary. Bracken read it over and raised an eyebrow.

"What kind of dork _writes_ an evil laugh?" she commented, "that is so... _lame_."

"Wait..." She brought the diary closer to her face, squinting.

"Your name is underlined, Evan," she noted, lowering the diary so the kids can see, "and so is a few letters."

"Come to think of it," Tani realized, "the word 'wondered' is spelled wrong," she pointed at the word, "see? There's an 'm' here."

"Oh!" gasped Evan, "He left a message!"

Tani ran over to the desk to find something to write with. She came back with a pen.

In the margins, Bracken wrote out her guess, 'The eys are wacting u Im sory Evan I'll be home soon'.

"'Eys'?"

"I think its 'eyes.'"

"Is that supposed to be 'watching'?"

"'The eyes are watching you'," guessed Evan.

They all immediately looked around the room and saw nothing out of the ordinary.

"Obviously the next few words is 'I'm sorry Evan'," decided Tani.

"The eyes are watching you, I'm sorry Evan, I'll be home soon," Bracken said out loud.

To their shock, the diary crumbled into ash and the bookmark landed in the pile on the floor that once was the diary. It transformed into a worm-like creature and started to wiggle away from the transfixed trio.

A knife suddenly embedded itself into the creature and pinned it to the floor.

"Well, now, this Prying Eye infestation is getting out of hand," said Lady Penelope as she walked into the room and bent down to twist her knife before removing it from the carpet. The Eye twitched and went limp. The Lady gazed around and noted the open desk drawers, the children covered in soot and ash from the fireplace, a pile of ashes on the floor, and the pink haired woman watching the Eye as if it will come back to life and attack.

"Really, Your Majesty," Lady Penelope lectured, "what gives you the right to ransack someone's room?"

"Because something is not right!" Evan argued, "Roland wouldn't...He wouldn't betray us like this!"

"Yeah!" agreed Tani.

Bracken shrugged. She only personally met the man a month ago. She wasn't close to him as the others were.

"Don't you agree, Lady Penelope?" Evan pleaded.

"Tell me what you have found out," the Lady instructed.

"Before the diary disintegrated, we found a secret message that there were eyes watching us and that Roland was sorry and he'll be home soon."

"That Eye was a bookmark," added Bracken as it dawned on her what's happening.

"So what does that tell you?" asked the Lady.

"That..." said Tani as she thought it over, "it's not his real diary? It's a decoy?"

"Then, where's the real one?" Evan realized.

"Very well hidden, I guess," Bracken pointed out.

"It's...with him this whole time?" said Tani guessed, "We were meant to find this fake?" **]**

Evan paused in his tracks as he left his apartment.

"I..." Evan began. The feeling watched sensation must meant that the Eyes were everywhere. Lofty said it was taken care of. Roland acting strange a few days before Batu called him out. Roland leaving. Batu sending Khunbish and being gone for a whole night. Lord Summerlands was...a lot less abrasive about Roland than he should be which is the strangest part of this whole mess. The decoy diary they found with a ridiculously evil confession inside. Leander being very stand-offish about his superior's sudden change in loyalties...Which meant...

"What the _hell,_ " he declared.

"Language, mun," scolded Lofty.

"What kind of betrayal plan is this, Roland!?" Evan continued, his hair puffing up, "He's not the type to create a _mrowwwr_ plan that _hissss_ backfires on him! He..." Evan was so angry that his rant continued in Grimalspeak. He attracted attention from Bracken (who hadn't considered that yes, the half-human child did have other non-visible characteristics), Lady Penelope (who understood some words in Grimalspeak) and the Earl (who stood there transfixed as his King horrified his ancestors).

When he finished, he looked up and blushed, mortified that he swore in front of some of his advisors.

"G-good morning, Your Majesty," stammered the Earl before fleeing.

"You're lucky Mr. Batu or Mr. Aristides wasn't around to hear that," said Lady Penelope. Lofty snickered.

"Do you feel better?" offered Bracken.

"...Yes," squeaked Evan.

"Good," said Bracken, "Now lets have some breakfast."

* * *

Evan waited until his main advisors slash friends gathered into the throne room. He eyed them all as they divided into their own conversations.

He took a deep breath to steel himself and hoped he wasn't wrong about this.

"Leander," he said and watched as the Junior Consul paused in his talk with Bracken, "I think it's time you told us the truth."

Leander smiled as he pushed up his glasses, "So...you have seen through our artifice, Your Majesty?"

"Wait, what?" said Bracken.

"What?" Batu quickly added.

Evan got up from his throne, "Yes, I have. It is my belief that Roland would never betray us. But if he did, he wouldn't go about it so clumsily. It's...disappointing, really. I expect he'd do better."

"I admit," confessed Leander, "That the plan could've had been executed with a little more...finesse to it."

"Yes," agreed Evan, "I feel that if he really betrayed us, we wouldn't have known until it was too late to stop it."

"What in blazes are ye blatherin' about?" asked Batu, who had already shaken a confession out of Lofty after tossing the real spy into a canyon and fired a few arrows into him just in case the rocks didn't completely do their job a few days ago. He figured he wasn't supposed to know anything. Did those age-defying lads really think he would mess up the plan? He didn't become chief of a few hundred pirates without using his brains against a few backstabbers.

"'In order to deceive one's enemies,'" recited Evan, "'one must first deceive their friends.' Isn't that what the saying goes?"

"What His Majesty means is that Roland's betrayal was nothing of the sort," declared Leander to the surprise of everyone (real and carefully faked), "This entire affair was nothing but an elaborate performance."

"W-whaaat?" gasped Batu, feigning shock, "Ye mean that this whole sorry mess is nothing but one of that blasted scoundrel's schemes?"

"Well...yes," confirmed Leander as he raised an eyebrow at Batu.

He then went on to tell his side of the story. About how he kept finding Prying Eyes everywhere in the castle after returning from Broadleaf. He and Roland investigated and found a Dellian spy. Rather than immediately confronting the spy, they hatched an elaborate scheme to lure the spy out. The first part of the plan was to display disloyal activities in front of an Eye during a time when guard shifts changed. That way, somebody would notice Roland's actions and cause them to grow suspicious of him until eventually discord would cause the 'traitor' to be cast out.

"I must confess that the robed figure Roland was spotted with was actually me in disguise," added Leander, "It was necessary that you have an appropriate reaction to make it more believable, Batu."

"Ye used me?" spluttered Batu before he got angry, "Ye used me and played me like a blessed fiddle!"

"Yes, we did," agreed Leander before arguing, "But Batu, deep down, you knew, didn't you? Some part of you sensed that Roland would never betray Evermore. Why else would you have sent one of your men after him? Did you think I wouldn't notice your crusade?"

"What? Ye-?!" Batu didn't expect that. "I..." he tried before noticing his daughter's glare at him. He gave up his charade.

"So...does this mean Roland is still in Ding Dong Dell?" asked Evan, "But why would he go there alone?"

"Allow me to explain, You're Majesty," declared Roland as he walked into the throne room, accompanied by a confused Khunbish and a guard who had kept the two back until he gave the signal.

"Roland!" cried out Evan. He ran along the rug that made a path to his throne to meet the man halfway.

"I'm sorry, Evan, for putting you through a lot," smiled Roland apologetically.

"We were so worried about you," said Evan, "But the important thing is that you're back."

"Yes," said Roland warmly, "I'm home now."

* * *

It had turned out that Roland had taken advantage of the scheme he and Leander had cooked up to track down the Mark of Kings, which he handed over to Evan. He had also given Timaeus a partial rundown about the plan to hide the fact that there was an actual spy in the Castle.

"That pompous furball knew before we did?!" exclaimed Batu.

"Wow," said Bracken.

Roland had came to Ding Dong Dell prepared and had used to the tools given to him by Leander, which greatly confused him because how in the world did the Junior Consul know he would need more than one magical frog pills?

"It was suggested to me by Hau Ling," Leander had confessed and everyone decided to drop it.

Evan held the Mark tightly in his hand. Soon, he will return to Ding Dong Dell.

The Treaty will not fail.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so, I lied. I'm going to need one more chapter to wrap this up.
> 
> But first: A guide to the pile up I caused.
> 
> First it was Lofty who noticed the Prying Eyes so he used his Kingmaker powers to make them malfunction. Because of the malfunction, everyone noticed that 'something is watching me' feeling, causing Leander to investigate. He went to Roland about his concerns and they used a dead Eye to trace it back to Pippin.
> 
> Leander and Roland cooked up The Plan and told Lofty about it in case Lofty goes Plot Device Dragon on them if it all goes wrong. Roland also went to Timaeus and gave him a rundown about what he was going to do within a few days which unknowingly caused the Earl to approve of this scheme because it would piss off the 'false King of Ding Dong Dell' and grant Evan a way to return to his homeland.
> 
> Batu eventually started suspecting that something was up so he sent Khunbish after Roland, thinking that Roland would trust Khunbish enough to tell him what is up. He didn't fully get it until Timaeus saw a few Prying Eyes and freaked out enough to get Batu and Lady Penelope on the case. Batu and Penelope went to find Lofty, got him to confess what he knew.
> 
> And well, spies who know all your secrets is pretty bad so that needed to be nipped in the bud before it gets worse. So Penelope tricked Pippin into drinking tea laced with a sedative so he wouldn't be able to fight back when Batu came in to drag him to Cloudcoil Canyon to dispense some sky pirate justice.
> 
> Tani, Evan, and Bracken were left in the dark. Tani and Evan because it needed to be believable and Bracken because she just joined the Kingdom so she isn't fully trusted yet.
> 
> Roland didn't tell anyone that he was also going to Ding Dong Dell to track down the Mark of Kings because if he screwed up on that, it would be best if no one knew he failed on that.
> 
> And that is how I made the spy plot even more complicated than it was in canon.
> 
> (And yeah, Roland had the real diary on him the whole time)


	25. Entry 22 - Renewal

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Time to wrap this arc up.

Bracken had more or less dragged Batu, Roland, and Leander away to...somewhere. The way she demanded to speak with them in private made all three men suddenly become nervous. Tani looked on in awe while Evan had a vague feeling of guilt despite not being involved in the plot.

No one has seen Bracken so angry like that before.

Lofty merely sighed in relief which resulted in a terrified Khunbish quickly running in, scooping up the Kingmaker and running out of the throne room mumbling apologies to Lofty.

It was a little past noon so Tani and Evan decided to get lunch, if only to have enough distance from Bracken when her attention to turns to _them_.

The pre-teens were half-way to Tasty's when they overheard a conversation from a group of citizens.

"The Chief Consul is back! I wonder where he had gone to..."

"Wasn't there talks about a spy hanging around? Maybe the spy took some important papers and he was getting them back."

"I heard that the Chief Consul is the spy."

"Ye what? If he's the spy then why is Chief Batu lettin' him still breathe?"

"No, I mean, he's _our_ spy so he could out-spy the other spy."

"That doesn't even make any sense!"

The two stared at each other. How did the spy incident spread around so fast?

"Hiya, have ya heard?" said Gerel when they came across her store, "Khunbish is back! He musta have some story to tell."

"He most likely does," agreed Evan before he realized that he had no idea what Khunbish did on his mission.

His ears then drooped as he sulked. No one's going to tell him any more details until he's older, aren't they?

* * *

[Later that evening]

Evan went over some reports of missing items being found (where were Leander and Roland keeping them this whole time anyway?) while vaguely listening to Lofty muttering in his strange language. The Kingmaker didn't seem to be terribly shaken up by Bracken's scolding...maybe.

Evan wanted to put this whole mess behind him but he knew there will be consequences he'll have to confront soon. There's no way Mausinger won't be furious about whatever Roland did to obtain the Mark of Kings. That will make things a bit harder for the Declaration of Interdependence to be utilized in Ding Dong Dell.

And then there are the more local consequences. Roland may have upset the sky pirates and it might take ages for them to forgive him. Most of the maids avoided his apartment for days and the ones that didn't...wait a minute. Who leaves the fireplace dirty for two whole weeks? Surely somebody would've found the fake diary before Tani and him at some point.

And...the paper arrow in the desk was left as a clue so someone who was investigating would've followed it to where it was pointing to, which of course was the fireplace.

But if the diary was a fake, then where's the real diary? Is it currently in Roland's arms band?

Did...did this mean that Roland knows that Evan's been reading the diary? H-he hasn't been reading it all the time, mind you! Just...occasionally. But that is still a breach of privacy and a pretty awful thing for a king to do...

Evan then noticed that Lofty has gone quiet. He turned to look at the small Kingmaker and found him staring at Evan with his hands at his waist.

"So, mun," said Lofty, "It's finally drilled into youer fuzzy head, eh?"

"How do you know?"

"We're linked through the Kingsbond, remember? We both can flippin' sense what the other is thinkin' even if its a flippin' bit faint for now. But once that bond is strong and flippin' majestic, we could both feel what the other is feelin'."

"But...the other kings-"

"Doloran corrupted the link so neither King or Kingmaker could hear each other very flippin' well, mun. Made it easier to corrupt the ruler without interference, I reckon. Eventually the bond weakens enough that all it flippin' takes is a skilled sorcerer to yank it out and break it. But don't you worry, mun. Our bond's probably not up to whatever standard Ole Snakey has for Kingsbonds right now."

Lofty slapped his forehead, "Oh no, you're not flippin' gettin' out of this easily, mun. You've hadn't been very kingly about privacy, Evan. Oh no, it's not at Queen Nerea's level with her flippin' giant all-knowin' pryin' eye thingy _yet_. Instead of askin' old Rolly-boy about he's feelin', you'd rather flippin' break into his room for a peek at his thoughts? Forget kingin', is this what friends do?!"

"No," said Evan as his tail drooped.

"So what should you do, hmmm?"

"Stop doing it."

"And you know what else, mun? Go flippin' apologize to him!"

"Of...of course." But...what if it causes Roland to leave again? No...he wouldn't. He has a son of his own, right? Roland may be used to it...

Evan took a deep breath to steady himself and stepped outside his suite.

...And almost walked into Roland himself. He looked a bit dazed which made Evan wonder what Bracken has done to make him like that.

"Ah, Evan," he said, becoming more alert. Well, here it goes.

"ImsorryIreadyourdiary," Evan blurted out.

Roland blinked, "Huh?"

"I read your diary."

"Ah, you mean the decoy. We thought that someone would go in to investigate but no one did."

"We did," said Evan, "But why did you use an Eye as a bookmark?"

"To alert Leander or me that the message was understood but that I guess it didn't work out." Roland shrugged.

"Lady Penelope killed it immediately."

"...Oh," Roland crossed his arms, "yeah, that would definitely interfere with the signal."

Evan then realized he was getting off track, "I meant your real diary."

"I know," said Roland and Evan squeaked. "I caught you during our journey to the Labyrinth."

"Why didn't you say anything?"

"I wanted to but Cetus and then Brineskimmer were a higher priority so I ended up forgetting until Bracken's drones got too nosy in Broadleaf. Has Lofty spoken to you yet? He was the one who thought up the decoy idea." W-what?

"Yes," Evan's ears drooped. He really is in big trouble now.

"Then I suppose I don't need to repeat a lecture on privacy," Roland knelt down and placed a hand on Evan's shoulder, "But...please, Evan, don't do it again. If you want to know what I'm thinking, just talk to me."

"Okay," said Evan nervously.

"Alright," smiled Roland gently as he ruffled Evan's hair, "then we're in the clear."

"I-I guess we are," stammered Evan.

There was a loud thumping sound that got louder as Batu turned over a corner into the main hallway, "Ah, Roland, lad. Just who I was lookin' for!"

"What is it, Batu?" Roland raised an eyebrow. How long was the other man standing there?

"Chingis wants to celebrate Khunbish's and yer return," grinned Batu as he patted the suddenly terrified Chief Consul's shoulder, "Leander and Bracken are comin' as well."

Roland seemed to relax a little, "Ah, they are, huh?"

"Indeed, just the four of us and a whole village of sky pirates," said Batu cheerfully. He laughed as Roland froze up again.

"Now, now, yer not in trouble," Batu reassured, "yer name's been cleared, lad."

"I...I see..."

"Now," declared Batu, "Let's party!"

"Should we be worried?" asked Evan.

"Nay, lad. We just to celebrate," said Batu, "Go to bed, Yer Majesty."

"Erm, have fun," Evan retreated to his rooms.

Last thing he heard before he closed the door was Batu saying darkly as the two men walked away, "We already fed the carrion crows, so yer off the hook, lad," and a nervous laugh from Roland.

* * *

Breakfast the next day revealed Bracken, Leander, and Roland blearily huddling over a small cauldron. Batu was nearby cheerfully eating eggs and looking fresh as a daisy.

"Good morning," yelled Lofty, resulting in all three flinching from the sudden noise.

"Not until we finish this potion, Lofty," grumbled Leander.

Batu snickered. Lightweights.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So it was inevitable but eventually Evan will have to stop. It might as well be on the tail end of an arc full of apparent betrayal and espionage. Starting next chapter, diary segments will either just appear at the start/end of the chapter or somebody else comes across it.
> 
> There would've been a scene with Bracken chewing out the guys but with my current skill level, there was no way it would go anywhere without some out-of-character dialogue and actions. So...off screen it goes. orz
> 
> Added in some idea on how the Kingsbond might work because like why didn't the Kingmakers not immediately interfere with Doloran's plans at the start of the corruption?
> 
> Anyway, Batu definitely won the inevitable drinking contest. Bracken may have pictures saved on a memolith somewhere.


	26. Entry 23 - What is this, a kingdom for ants?

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moving up Tyran's last skirmish as a chapter 8 sidequest instead of chapter 9 because I can.
> 
> Edit 9/5/18: Extended beginning and ending sections

[FROM THE DIARY OF ROLAND CRANE]

_I am glad I have completed my mission and returned home with no other issues. The Mark of Kings is in Evan's hands once more. Eventually, we must form a plan to enter Ding Dong Dell unnoticed._

_But that can wait. For now, I must recover from the crossbow wound I sustained. Unfortunately, a few soreaway leaves is not enough and due to waiting until Khunbish and I were in the mountains before we could teleport home safely, I missed the window of time for healing magic to be truly effective. In consequence, my arm must heal naturally._

_There is also the fact that Chancellor Vermine had been oozing the corrupted aura of the Horned One while he shot me to consider. The Chancellor, from what I've seen, is a spiteful fellow so I wouldn't be surprised if I have been cursed in the process. If so, then I hope the curse is easy to lift.  
_

* * *

Day 298/January 14, 20XX

All the remaining Prying Eyes were tracked down and removed. They turned up in odd places such as a trash can in a bathroom in the recently built inn, in a corner in the spellworks, in an oven in the kitchen encased in a special heat resisting force field, and in a fish market.

They were all gathered in a pile outside of the kingdom where they were set on fire. This attracted Flappy's attention who found the flames laughable and thus added on his own fire.

There was nothing left of the Eyes nor the grass surrounding them. Satisfied, the Incineraptor flew away, leaving a stunned group of officials in his wake.

A quick check in the former spy's hideout revealed there was no Eyes in the process of being created. In the main living space, there was a tea cup sitting innocently on a table but the chair in front of it had fallen over.

...Evan had a feeling that the spy has been already taken care of.

* * *

Day 301/January 17, 20XX

Tani stared at a nearby mountain. She can faintly see the red back of a treasure chest resting on a cliff.

"What are ye thinkin' about?" asked Batu.

"We should go treasure hunting with the Zippelin," Tani suggested before pointing to the out-of-reach treasure chest, "What else should we use it for?"

[30 minutes later]

"Shouldn't we be using this for more important things?" Bracken asked as the Zippelin hovered around the mountain top as Batu looked for a safe drop off.

"We got plenty of time, mun." said Lofty as the airship at last landed. Tani hopped out and excitedly opened the chest. She pulled out a darker version of an Angel's Tear. She ran back into the air ship with the Tear in her arms.

"Look what I found!" She cheered before handing it over to Leander to let him study it.

"That's a Savior's Tear," he at last announced, "This would help us immensely someday."

* * *

"This appears to be a songbook," said Roland as he looked over the booklet, "Don't we have a bard in Evermore?"

"You mean Nereus?" corrected Evan, "He'll know what to do with it."

"Ah, excellent."

* * *

"I think I've seen this somewhere before," mused Evan as Bracken held up a green coat that mostly weathered the test of time inside the chest.

"I must admit, this does look familiar," said Leander, "I recall seeing something like this in an old tapestry I encountered once as a child."

'It might not exist anymore' was left unspoken but it traveled across everyone's minds.

"Sut gafodd y cot hwnnw yma?" spluttered Lofty while Roland examined it with his good arm. It looks like the coat can fit him...

* * *

"What's a shipwright's outfit doing in here?" asked Tani as they all peered in the treasure box.

"I call dibs," announced Batu, grinning playfully. This earned him a smack on the leg from his daughter.

"By the gods, don't," she groaned.

* * *

Day 304/January 21, 20XX

"We got another letter from that Tyran swab, Your Majesty," announced Chingis, "He sounds a bit desperate considering a rival bandit leader kicked him and his band out of their hideout. Not much people wanting to side with him since we got a dragon hanging around."

"That's terrible!" said Evan.

"Yeah but he still wants another go."

Evan sighed. If only he could just convince the bandit to live in Evermore in peace. There would be no more worries about shelter and supplies. He and his tribe would be safe and happy.

"Oh...very well. When is he invading?"

"In two days."

"Then we prepare the troops at once," decided Evan.

* * *

Days 306-307/January 23-24, 20XX

The ensuing battle ended up splitting Evermore's forces into two when it was discovered that another bandit tribe lead by a man named Fabricas was plotting to invade Evermore with his siege weapons while everyone was distracted.

Thanks to a battalion of mages supplied with sixth censors, Fabricas's legendary building speed was forcibly slowed down. Min Ti and Muriel combined their troops to pick off scouts reporting to Frabricas and Tyran. Roland, meanwhile, was delegated to providing battle strategies due to his injury.

By the end of the first day, Fabricas was defeated and he called for vengeance as he fled.

"We just flippin' got ourselves a new flippin' rival, didn't we?" sighed Lofty.

On the second day, Tyran appeared with a lot more troops than he had the day before.

"One last dash!" he roared. The cheers of his men were...less enthusiastic.

The first wave seemed to be going through the motions. They clashed swords as if operating on memory and occasionally someone would get a minor hit and say 'oh no I'm dead' and fall over. Evermore troops caught on and soon some soldiers would merely poke a bandit on the shoulder and say 'you're out.'

The path to the bridge to the Rubbly Ruins was at last cleared away. Bai Gon looked around, unimpressed.

"Never in all my years have I seen a skirmish become a farce like this," he growled.

"I think they're up to somethin'" pondered Batu, "This could be a trap."

"Alas our king has already gone up ahead," sighed Bai Gon, "May there be a bunch of lazy clods as well over there."

* * *

"Oh my," said Evan, "That's a lot of watch towers."

"They aren't very sturdy lookin' towers, mun," Lofty pointed out. He walked over to one and punched it with a tiny hand.

It collapsed immediately.

"This is pretty embarrassing, mun," Lofty grimaced.

Roland, who had one arm in a sling, fired his sidearm at one of the legs of another tower and it too collapsed.

"Indeed," he agreed.

To everyone's surprise, the cannons they encountered after the string of watch towers were a lot more sturdy but they too fell.

"I will not give up!" yelled Tyran as he charged at Evan.

Evan's eyes widened in surprise and he quickly got out of the bandit's path. Evan quickly raised his sword to block a blow from Tyran's mallet. He backed away and summoned his wand to fling a large bubble of water at Tyran.

"Your kingdom shall me mine!" spluttered Tyran, completely soaked.

"Never," replied Evan, "And please, stop -" He paused as his ears twitched as they picked up the sound of a dragon's roar.

"You're Majesty," shouted a soldier as he pointed to the beach, "there's a dragon!"

"Oh no, that stupid lizard is not getting my new castle," growled Tyran, "Charge at 'em, lads!"

"Hell no, boss," said a bandit, "I ain't going up against a dragon."

"I think its an incineraptor," another bandit pointed out, "it oozes lava, boss."

"Then we die like men," decided Tyran, he charged at the dragon, shouting a war cry at the dragon.

"Welp, I'm definitely out," said a tall bandit, "bye." He fled.

"I'm going to help him," declared Evan, "before Flappy really hurts him."

" _Flappy?_ " asked a female bandit to herself, "Really?"

"Ah, King Evan," interrupted Rumpel, "That's not Flappy."

"It's not?"

There was another, different roar. " _That_ is Flappy."

"Ya got two dragons?!" said the female bandit as the intruding dragon roared a challenge to Flappy. "Okay, I'm done." She ran towards her leader, "TYRAN, GET YER STUBBORN ARSE OVER HERE."

"But that dragon is stealin' what's mine!" whined Tyran as he got dragged away from imminent death.

"Leave, intruder!" boomed Flappy, "This is my nest!"

The other Incineraptor huffed, "Your nest is full of ants! Let me take care of that after I kill you."

"They're my ants and you can't have it!"

This enraged the intruder into attacking. Everyone stopped fighting and fleeing to watch as the two dragons fought.

"Did we just get called ants?" said Tani as the dragons took their fight into the sky, "I thought Flappy was nice, Rumpel!"

"He is," said Rumpel, tail wagging in embarrassment, "He just...got caught up in the moment."

"Looks like you have competition, Lofty," Roland quipped as the Kingmaker grumbled about 'bein' here first' as he watched on.

"Hey, Kitty-witty!" yelled Tyran who ignored the fact that there are two dragons trying to scratch each other's eyes out with their claws, "I am not givin' up on this! I'll get ya next time!"

"Oh no," growled his minion, "we need a talk when we get back at the base."

"Oh come on! Yer ruinin' the moment!"

Evan sighed as the bandit was dragged away. He really should invite him into the kingdom when the bandit is in a more reasonable mood.

A roar distracted him from his thoughts and he looked up to see one dragon gripping the other by the wings as it somersaulted several times in midair. After a third rotation, the dragon used all of it's strength to throw its opponent into the ocean.

The heat of the Incineraptor's body caused a spray of steam instead of a jet of water to rise.

Everyone watched the water to see if the dragon would rise. It didn't.

The victorious dragon roared in triumph. It landed on the shore to the nervous troops and King of Evermore. Rumpel, meanwhile, wasn't afraid.

"You did it!" he cheered as he ran up to the Incineraptor.

"Rumpel," boomed Flappy to the relief of the forces of Evermore, "I have won."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Google!Welsh: How did that coat get here?
> 
> Putting this out here now: Lofty is trying to hide the fact that there are more than two worlds the party is aware of. I did say in my chapter 5 end notes that I feel that the world of NNK2 is a completely different one. I mean, Drippy in the start of the first game did say there are many parallel worlds out there and you do visit a third world after you defeat the final bonus boss.
> 
> FLAPPY used SEISMIC TOSS! It's super effective!
> 
> Flappy is a giant deus ex machina that I wont be using much because it is too easy to solve a lot of problems by just summoning a dragon. Especially when Lofty can also turn into a dragon and is kinda his own deus ex machina.
> 
> ...Well, I did say in the summary that there will be angry dragons.
> 
> I am most definitely not foreshadowing anything with the arrow wound. Nope, not at all.


	27. Entry 24 - A Long Awaited Return

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with this update I hit 50,000+ words (not including authors notes). This is now the longest thing I have ever written and it took me like, what, two and a half months?
> 
> Also, imagine everyone wearing winter versions of their canon outfits because I forgot seasons are a thing again.

Day 311/January 28, 20XX

Evan knew he can't let it wait any longer. It was time to go back.

And so he gathered his inner circle in the throne room and he took a calming breath.

"There's something I need to talk to you about, everyone," he announced, "Before we ask Ding Dong Dell to sign the Declaration, I need to know how people are faring under Mausinger's rule."

He stepped forward, "I also want to know what they have thought about of my father. Perhaps it would help me understand why he was murdered."

Evan looked down at his feet, "I...never once considered the thoughts and feelings of Ding Dong Dell's people during my brief time as their ruler." He...rarely left the castle when he was a Crown Prince and had only spent a day outside of it between his father's funeral and the day he was supposed to be officially crowned king. The servants hid his father's Leafbook viewer from him so he wasn't able to find out that way.

"It's time I find out what everyone truly thinks," Evan decided.

"It might not be very positive," Leander pointed out.

"I know," said Evan, "but it will still be helpful."

* * *

They reconvened in the nearby 'war room' where a larger map of the world sat on the table.

"There are soldiers located at the border," said Roland as he tapped spots along the river that separated Ding Dong Dell from the Rolling Hills, "So entering Ding Dong Dell at this direction would be suicide."

"How did you get past them?" asked Bracken.

"I had to have our spy friend vouch for me in order to pass through check points," Roland replied, "I'm pretty sure they'll just kill me once I'm spotted now. Evan is at risk as well."

"Then, how do we get to Ding Dong Dell?" asked Tani.

"Our best bet is to use the Zippelin to fly over the mountains unseen," Roland decided. He traced possible routes on the map with a finger.

"It would be wise to use a more northern route," said Leander. He traced a route that went around the Sky Pirates' home base before stopping at a lake northeast of the kingdom. "We land here and travel on foot to the least guarded areas."

"But winter is setting in," argued Evan. He pointed to a spot much closer to Ding Dong Dell, "We should land here. It's closer and it's rumored that there's a cave nearby."

"Ah, my apologies," conceded Leander, "I hadn't taken account of being exposed to the elements."

"Good thing the Zippelin's engines are quiet otherwise they would hear us miles away," commented Bracken.

"Hmm, so a good old fashioned full frontal assault is not the order of the day, eh?" sighed Batu.

"Looks like it," agreed Tani, "it's a straight in, no messing job by the sound of it."

"Then it's decided," declared Evan, "we have a way into Ding Dong Dell."

* * *

[SEVERAL HOURS LATER]

"Hey, what's that?" Bracken pointed at the temple below the airship.

"Oh!" Evan gasped before lifting up Lofty to let him see, "It's the King's Cradle where I did my trials."

"Neat," said Bracken, "Should we make a pit stop?"

Leander shook his head, "I suggest we visit it once our mission in Ding Dong Dell is complete."

* * *

A few more hours the airship hovered above the lake. The sun had already set and everything is covered in snow.

"Ye say there's a cave near by?" said Batu as Pilo took over for him.

"Yes, southeast from here," confirmed Evan.

Pilo nodded and turned the Zippelin to that direction. He landed it and nervously said, "Well, here we are. I'll be nearby within range if ye need a ride to the Base for the night."

"Thank you," acknowledged Roland.

They all stepped out of the airship and Evan quickly cast a light spell as the Zippelin hovered away. Roland, who seemed to always prepare for anything, pulled out a sword from his arms band and held it away as flames emerged from it while Bracken cupped a ball of flames in her hands.

They can see a few outlines of trees in the darkness. From this distance, it was hard to tell if they were sturdy enough to hold people on their bare branches. Snow crunched under their feet as they walked over to a particular tree. It turned out to be too small.

There was a howl in the distance. The Hedgehounds must be lurking nearby.

"I think it's this way," pointed Evan to a random direction with a free hand. Everyone noted how unsure his voice sounded.

"If you say so, mun," said Lofty as he got picked up by Batu.

"I wouldn't go that way, kid," said an unfamiliar voice. Roland and Bracken immediately summoned their guns.

"Whose there?" demanded Bracken.

"The name's Tyger," A tall figure came closer and in their makeshift light, the party saw a grimalkin man wearing just a pair of pants, a cloth wrapped around his waist, and a sweatband on his forehead. He had a grimchilla slung over his shoulder that made no movement. "That way just leads to the border patrol if you keep going south."

They all looked up at the howls of distant hedgehounds. Tyger sighed.

"Follow me, everyone. I have a place where you can all stay in for the night."

* * *

Tyger's home turned out to be a cave and possibly the one Evan had heard about. It contained two fire pits, one for cooking and boiling water and the other appeared to be for blacksmithing purposes judging from the weapons in various states of completion scattered on the rocks surrounding it. Several buckets laid by the lakeside.

Tyger served the group the grimchilla he had slain. Soon all were gathered around the cooking fire pit for warmth. Tyger scowled.

"Now, what kind of idiot decides to sneak into Dellian territory after dark in winter?" he scolded.

"That would be me," Evan raised his hand, "we're on a...secret mission to sneak into Ding Dong Dell itself."

"Secret mission," Tyger repeated as he noticed the boy's visible grimalkin features and fine clothing, "and how are you going to do that unseen?"

"Redirecting charms," offered Leander, "Someone might spot him but a more pressing matter would lead them to somewhere else."

Tyger snorted, "Che. And what will you do the spell is broken? Recast it? Nah, what you need is a disguise. A couple of bandits are on their way here to pick up their orders in a few hours. I'll ask if they got anything."

* * *

Day 312/January 29, 20XX

Evan fell asleep waiting and woke up the next day to a mouse woman in bandit clothing that marked her as a mage examining Roland's arm. A blue longcoat and a raggedy green coat was piled up at their feet. Their conversation was faint for human ears but luckily for Evan, his ears weren't.

"There's a trace of dark magic in this wound that's making it heal a lot slower."

"Is there anything you can do?"

"Unfortunately, no. It can only be lifted by the one who added the curse."

"...Have you ever met Chancellor Vermine?"

"Unfortunately, yes. He has way too much influence on the King. It was...disillusioning so I left."

"I saw it too. It was much harder for Mausinger to agree with any of my ideas if Vermine was around..."

This didn't bode well for the Declaration, Evan decided.

* * *

The bandit woman, known as Marlene, lead the group down to the valley where Ding Dong Dell's more hidden spots were said to be located. She and some of her tribesmen stood on the lookout in case of Dellian patrols approached the area.

Evan took out the Mark of Kings as he felt the ancient brickwork for the key hole that matches it. He perked up as he found it and held the Mark close to the matching symbol. Immediately, there was a loud creaking noise as the hidden doorway opened for the first time in centuries. Evan and his inner circle entered the secret tunnel and walked down a path.

Halfway, they stopped to put on a brown hooded cloak that marked the wearer as a wizard's apprentice on Evan and Roland switched his blue coat for the green raggedy one. He placed a green veil on his head that hid most of his face.

"That doesn't look like it matches very well," Bracken commented.

"It's the best we can do," sighed Roland, his voice slightly muffled.

* * *

[Meanwhile on Leafbook]

Xander: I think I saw a couple of sky pirates in Ding Dong Dell just now?

Eric: You think?

Xander: Yeah but it's weird. Once I saw them, I remembered that I left the oven on.

Eric: That IS weird.

Ratasha: Thank you for your report. Mages are on their way to cast a nationwide nullification spell. Please wait one hour before attempting to use magic.

* * *

Evan was warned how the grimalkin citizens of Ding Dong Dell were treated these days but to hear about it was different than actually seeing it. In an ironic twist to the kingdom's long history, grimalkin who remained after the coup were persecuted against and many were driven into the slums while micekind lived without fear. Any attempts at rebellion was squashed and some rebels have been imprisoned and haven't been seen since their arrest. Food is hard to come by in some of the slums which has led to petty stealing.

The Old Well served as a slum that contained its own dangers. It was known that monsters lurked in the deeper areas for centuries. In his brief stay in Ding Dong Dell a couple of weeks ago, Roland had managed to convince Mausinger to provide the grimalkin some protection because technically, they now serve as a line of defense for the rest of the kingdom. If a powerful monster broke through, like how one almost did an hour ago before it was struck down, the damage would be catastrophic. Despite serving an important role, the inhabitants of the slum were still miserable.

"Why would Mausinger do this?" Evan asked as they all huddled up to relay what the party had learned to each other.

"Vengeance, I guess," shrugged Bracken.

"It's flippin' lookin' that way, mun," agreed Lofty.

"I...I don't condone what he has done," said Evan dejectedly, "but a leader must be above petty vengeance."

He sighed, "But there's certainly no way we can form a union with the kingdom as it is."

"So what should you do?" asked Roland, crossing his arms as he leaned back against a wall, "Get vengeance of your own?"

"It's true," agreed Evan as he pressed an arm against his chest, "I lost Father and Nella thanks to his actions. He overthrew me and stole my kingdom. I lost my homeland, my right to rule, and my family. My...past.

"But these poor people, they have been shooed off to here. Mausinger must be removed! Ding Dong Dell will never be peaceful again otherwise!" argued Evan while ignoring the alarmed look Lofty was giving him.

"Tell me, Evan," said Roland. The veil did well to hide his face but the man radiated a judgemental stare. "Was your father bad at judging others' character?"

"W-what?!" The question threw the boy king off his call for vengeance.

"Think about it, why would your father make someone like Mausinger his most trusted advisor?" _Who went and betrayed his king for power_ was left unspoken.

Evan's tail swished as he thought back how Mausinger acted in the years before the coup. Before King Leonhard's death. He was...so...kind and...and patient with Evan as the boy grew past his young kitten years. Mausinger was like an uncle to him. He even comforted Evan after his father died from his alleged illness.

Was...was it all a lie?

"...I'm sorry," said Evan, his ears pressing downwards, "but I think I'd like some time to myself."

He left the Well, barely registering the sound of conversation between Batu and Roland.

* * *

[Meanwhile on Leafbook]

Commander Maxie: We have reports that former King Evan and his entourage have been sighted within the Kingdom. Guards are on their way to arrest them for illegal entry and crimes against the Crown. Anyone who assists them in escaping will also be apprehended and charged with treason.

* * *

Evan had once been teleported to the Crypt of the Cat Kings as a security precaution. Nobody wanted to risk the new king of Ding Dong Dell getting injured or worse as his father's coffin was laid to rest.

Each Dellian king was entombed with a few items that were important to them in life. King Leonhard was said to be buried with his diary.

The Mark of Kings activated the seal on the Crypt and the doors gave way to the Mark's holder.

As Evan walked down the hallway decorated with uneven brickwork that indicated a coffin was behind them, he wondered what will be done for Mausinger and his successors once they die. Will they be buried here too? Or will a crypt marking the new era be built?

At last they reached the room where kings in the past four hundred years were interred. In the center of the room was the coffin containing King Leonhard's corpse. Evan frowned. Why hasn't anyone moved his father to the lot where Mother is buried yet? It's been nearly a year since his father died, surely someone should've arranged for this by now.

...Or was it Evan's duty to make sure it happens?

How in the world can he do that with relations with Ding Dong Dell souring?

Evan sighed. But that's why he's here. Somewhere in the diary detailed how Leonhard truly felt about his mousekind subjects.

Evan was well aware of the irony. He had promised Roland that he'd stop reading the man's diary and he had. But nobody said that he couldn't read _others'_ diaries.

He looked up at Roland, embarrassed. His Chief Consul had taken off the veil the moment the party got as far away from the walls of Ding Dong Dell as possible. He looked back with a raised eyebrow and a small smile.

In front of the coffin was a chest. Evan muttered apologies and opened it. There was his father's favored knife, instructions on how to raise a plant (which for as long as Evan knew him, his father never truly succeeded), and the diary.

Evan carefully opened the diary to the last entry:

_Do you remember the day I made you my chancellor, Otto? The other ministers were up in arms - though they dared not to say so to my face. But I trusted in you. I could see the resolve in your eyes. The determination. You yearned to bury the differences between our peoples, just as I did. And I trust in you still. I know that you will continue what we have started and that you will succeed._

"He...trusted Mausinger," said Evan quietly, "He had complete faith in him..."

He turned to face his ministers, "I have to make Mausinger see the truth. He has to know what Father thought truly thought about him!"

"Sounds like a plan," commented Roland and the others nodded.

"Yes," agreed the child king, "though...we need to find a way to talk to him." After today's stunt, Mausinger would definitely not be in the mood for it.

"It would be best if we wait for an opportunity," said Roland.

"Of course," nodded Evan. Going back to Ding Dong Dell now would end terribly. "Then we shall head back to Evermore and plan our next move."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter gave me a hard time for days. I have a feeling that it will be the same with the next one. orz
> 
> Alright so, the reason why I had the air ship go the long way around is that even though it's engines are quiet, I bet you would still notice a large object in the distance getting closer if you just cross the mountains between the Rolling Hills and the Heartlands. As a result, it ended up being night when they at last land at their destination.
> 
> Tyger and Marlene are recruitable citizens but at this moment they aren't just going to accept an invitation to Evermore yet.
> 
> I got Roland to use the green coat because the original disguise was like Thor Ragnarok levels of 'disguise.' Hmmm, a guy in a Dellian guardsman coat with a green veil over his head? Totally not suspicious whatsoever.
> 
> ...And yeah, I cheated with Leonhard's diary. lol


	28. Entry 25 - An Overdue Confrontation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Are y'all ready for boss fights? Because I ended up writing some boss fights after avoiding them for so long. Hahahaha orz
> 
> Edit 9/4/18 - Extended pre-battle throne room scene

Day 315/January 31, 20XX

Waiting for Ding Dong Dell to make their first move was nerve wracking. Will Mausinger declare war (which may end badly for Ding Dong Dell if one of Evermore's allies chooses to assist the latter)? Will he parlay for peace? For three days there hasn't been a reaction.

On the second day, the group went out and helped gather some cloves of deathbreath garlic for a nutritionist in Broadleaf. Before returning to Broadleaf, they took a detour to the Cradle of Light.

"Wow," whistled Bracken as she stared at the steep staircase, "that's a lot of stairs."

"...Indeed," agreed Leander, taking a few steps back.

"I know!" bounced Lofty excitedly, "who wants a race? Surely this is flippin' nothin' after all the outdoors you lot have been gettin.'"

"Not much of a race if it's over in a minute," said Tani as she looked up at her dad. He grinned.

"Half of us hasn't been inside," mused Evan, "why not go up?"

The trek up the stairs wasn't as bad as Evan remembered. Perhaps his endurance did get better...

He heard a yelp and he turned to see Bracken draping a struggling Leander over her shoulder like a sack of potatoes several feet away from the others.

* * *

After visiting the King's Cradle, the party returned to Broadleaf and gave the nutritionist what she wanted. She came back an hour later with a few wrapped bars of a strong smelling substance she called NutriBlam. The next step was to give out a few samples to tired looking people.

The results of giving people the NutriBlam bars was...fascinating. Some testers really liked the taste and the accompanying energy boost while others gagged until they realized that they felt more awake. Roland muttered something about a 'fight or flight response' being in action, whatever that meant.

All four adults in the group eyed the free box of energy bars the party was given along with the rocket fuel drinks as a reward with suspicion. There was no way any of them were desperate enough to subject themselves to excessive garlic. In the end, Bracken reluctantly stored the box and drinks into her arms band. The strongest concentration of the garlic scent vanished, leaving behind its ghosts.

They all watched as Evan unconsciously relaxed. The scent may have been strong to a human nose but to a half-grimalkin, it must've been worse.

On the third day, the box was placed on a makeshift raft in the middle of the ocean and was set ablaze by Batu and Tani using flaming arrows. 'For the good of the world' was their explanation.

* * *

Day 316/February 1, 20XX

And then at last Chingis arrived in the throne room on the fourth day with a letter from Ding Dong Dell. He read it out loud:

_"To His Radiant Majesty, King Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum of Evermore,_

("'Radiant Majesty?' A bit much, isn't it?" "Sounds great to me, mun.")

_Tales of your great achievements continue to impress us."_

("Oh really?" commented Tani, unimpressed. Her father shushed her.)

_"We would be honored if you would visit us to discuss your growing union. Our border guards have been instructed to grant you free passage. Simply present the Mark of Kings as proof of your identity._

_Your Eternal Friend_ ("Who flippin' wrote this?") _and Servant,_

_King Otto Mausinger of Ding Dong Dell"_

"He wants us to make a trade with the Mark of Kings?" commented Bracken, "Did you know this would happen, Roland?"

"I had a feeling he might," said Roland.

" _I_ feel this may be a trap," frowned Leander.

Roland shrugged, "I don't think he's trying to disguise it. He knows we can't refuse."

"This is nothin' more than a brazen challenge," growled Batu.

"Indeed," agreed Evan, "but I can finally meet him face to face."

"So it'd decided, hmmm?" said Lofty, "Let's go to Ding Dong Dell, Your Radiance!"

"Please don't call me that," groaned Evan, his cheeks turning pink.

"I dunno," grinned Bracken, "'Your Radiance' has a nice ring to it."

"It's embarrassing!" whined Evan, his tail's fur fluffing up.

"Alright, that's enough," Roland butted in. Oh thank goodness.

"We'll discuss on how to refer to His Radiance properly later," added Roland.

* * *

The border patrol indeed allowed King Evan and his entourage to pass through the border unharmed once he showed a general the Mark of Kings. After that, it was several hours trekking across a path cleared of snow to the main city of Ding Dong Dell.

Undisguised, Evan walked through the streets of his homeland and paid little attention to the whispers of the townspeople as they spotted him. He even heard the click of someone taking a picture with their Viewer. Good idea, it will alert the rest of the world of his last known location if things go sour between him and Mausinger. He hoped it wouldn't...

The guard at the castle gate recognized him and Evan wondered if he was given a spot in the king's guard thanks to King Leonhard's attempts to instill the idea of equality for all three races living in Ding Dong Dell.

Various people in the castle gasped as they spotted Evan pass by them. They were never expecting to see him walk within the castle again. They watched as he approached the throne room unimpeded as if he had done so many times before.

Roland Crane, his Chief Consul, walked behind him, his eyes flickering back and forth as if he was expecting an ambush.

At last they reached the throne room where the throne still had the fish and cat motif despite its rodent ruler. Mausinger sat in his conquered throne while his chancellor stood off to the left, closer to the stairs. There was movement and Evan glanced to see a pair of mages peeking behind pillars on either side of the walkway, their wands in their hands.

"Greetings, King Mausinger," Evan bowed, unable to dismiss years of etiquette drilled into his head despite Mausinger's status as usurper king.

Mausinger lightly bowed back in his seat, earning a 'tch' from Vermine, "I see you have arrived safely, young King Evan. And, ah, Mr. Crane! I must thank you for revealing...our susceptibility to infiltration."

"You're welcome," quipped Roland, his Politician Face now in place.

"Have you brought the Mark of Kings as requested?"

"We have it," confirmed Roland.

"Your Majesty," Evan took a step forward, "let us speak as one ruler to another."

"Ah yes," said Mausinger, "I must commend you on your new realm...and your persistence to keep ruling. Failing on your first attempt, I wouldn't blame you for trying again."

"You didn't even give him time to actually rule though," muttered Tani. She was immediately 'shhh'd by Leander.

"I made a promise," said Evan, "I promised that I would build a kingdom where everyone lived happily ever after."

"And your pathetic little pact is a way to do so? Such naivety," scoffed Mausinger.

"The Declaration of Interdependence - "

"Enough!" interrupted Vermine, "Your Majesty, I suggest we stop humoring the boy. Abandon your pretense, Evermore!" He pointed an accusing finger at Evan, "You're not here for an alliance! You're here to bend mousekind to your will! Just like your father and his father has done before you! Your motives are woefully transparent and His Majesty shall not fall for it again! Those days are long gone!" He turned to look at Mausinger and Roland caught a glimpse of purple and his arm's wound _twinged_ , "Isn't that right, Your Majesty?"

Mausinger mechanically stood up from his throne and said in a borderline monotone voice, "There will be no signing pacts today." The mages leaned out of their hiding places in alarm as the king moved like a puppet on strings.

Vermine's purple aura dissipated and the mouse king's stance became natural. He frowned in frustrated confusion. He lost time _again._

"But-" Mausinger's growled. Was this time one of the boy's lackey's doing? Is this how he's been getting the treaty signed?

"Mousekind will no longer bow to grimalkin no more!" shouted Mausinger as rage built up inside him.

"Please, King Mausinger," pleaded Evan, "we have to stop this before its too late! I have seen now why you overthrew me. So much has happened between our people. But we can't let it go on! We have to bring this to an end!"

"And what do you know, boy?" hissed Mausinger, "Of hatred? Of the taste of shame and humiliation brought upon by servitude?"

"Well said, Your Majesty," smirked Vermine.

Mausinger stepped down the stairs, a sword materializing from his arms band, "The House of Tildrum ends here today at my hand. Your line shall be no more, Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum." He readied his sword once he reached the landing.

"Oh, how I longed to do this," Mausinger sighed. He raised it and with a warning swing, the sword burst in flames.

"Ding Dong Dell shall never be yours!" he growled, "Never!"

He lunged forwards with sword aimed to kill. Evan quickly summoned the sword Roland had found during his infiltration of Ding Dong Dell. He blocked a killing blow that would've beheaded him. "Mausinger!"

"The time to talk is over," hissed the mouse king.

Evan was faintly aware of shouts from his allies and castle guards. A cry of "They must not be aided!" was everyone's warning before a circle of blue flames erupted around the two combatants. The left side mage lowered their wand.

"Excellent work, Lady Ratasha," smirked Vermine, "Now no one can help that boy."

"And we cannot help our King," shot back Ratasha, "That includes _you_." She chanted a quick spell and a hand emerged from the pool on the left of the throne and it grabbed the shocked Chancellor before flinging him across the room.

"Ratasha!" cried out the other mage, horrified.

"We must not let that _traitor_ interfere, Gregory," said Ratasha as she maintained the flames, "we answer to the Crown, not to that wretch."

"You speak of-"

"I will explain later," gritted out Ratasha.

Meanwhile, Evan was reduced to defending himself from Mausinger's relentless strikes. The heat of the mouse king's sword threatened to singe his hair every time it got too close.

"Why wont you die?" roared Mausinger before he vanished. Evan frantically looked around, horrified that the older king can teleport. The return of the flaming sword's heat behind him was his only warning to dive out of the sword's path. While Mausinger growled and carefully pulled the sword out of the rug to reduce damage to it, Evan cast a stream of water at him. Dripping wet, the mouse king was enraged by how the spell delayed the sword's re-ignition as he waved the sword up and down to quickly dry it.

Evan took the distraction as opportunity to slash at Mausinger's arm. With a howl of pain, he leapt back and saw a large ball of light heading his way. He quickly conjured a red barrier that held up against the spell.

Mausinger grimaced as his arm throbbed. He gripped it and felt warm blood on his hand. His young opponent meanwhile was panting and his skin turning pink from repeated exposure to the burning sword.

Ratasha suddenly cried out and the blue flame barrier dissipated. She held her side as it ran with blood. Vermine backed away from her with a bloody knife, satisfied. Gregory looked on in shock.

"Damn you, Tildrum, and all your kind," said Mausinger, ignoring whimpers from the injured mage.

"We don't have to do this, Mausinger!" shouted Evan, "I didn't come here to fight you! I don't even want to fight! So please! Stop before more people get hurt!"

"Don't listen to the boy, my liege!" countered Vermine as purple smoke surrounded his body. Roland held back a yelp as he gripped his arm once more. The bottle of concentrated soreaway he was planning to bring to Ratasha would have crashed to the floor if Leander hadn't used his telekinesis magic to catch it.

"You cannot accept defeat," continued Vermine with a wicked smile as Mausinger suddenly stood rigidly in place, "If you do, these worms would bring misery to our people! Our people will never be free!"

"F-free?" said Mausinger distantly. Gregory and a few guards gasped. Ratasha glowered despite the pain. Leander ran over and held up the potion bottle to Ratasha and with his help, she poured a small amount on her hand. She yelped as she slapped the potion covered hand on her side. The pain intensified and she would've fell hard to the floor if Leander hadn't caught her. She gasped for breath as the potion did its job.

"Yes, we must be free!" Mausinger added.

"Not like this!" shouted Roland, "Don't listen to him!"

"Don't listen to the infiltrator!" countered Vermine, the aura intensifying, "He works with the grimalkin!"

"Grimalkin..." Mausinger growled, "every last grimalkin must die!"

He raised the sword above his head, the blade pointed to the skylight as it glowed, "Oakenhart, come to me!"

And then suddenly, Doloran appeared in a flash and with a victorious smile, he plunged his hand into the king's chest. The sword ceased glowing as Mausinger looked down at the arm slowly withdrawing from his body in horror. A golden string, his Kingsbond was in Doloran's grasp.

"No...my Kingsbond," Mausinger weakly grappled at the arm pulling the bond out. "Who...who are you?" he gasped.

With a quick jerk, the bond snapped and Doloran laughed triumphantly as Mausinger fell to his knees.

"At last," said Doloran as the bond fragment was sealed into a ball of light, "I never thought I would ever get it."

"It's finally done, Master!" cheered Vermine as he bowed to the sorcerer. Gregory looked like he was slapped in the face by the revelation.

"V-vermine?" gasped Mausinger as his Chancellor revealed his true colors.

"So sorry, Otto," sneered Vermine as he rubbed his hands together, "I do confess that I do feel a bit of guilt in convincing you to slay your dearest friend and patron."

"Like hell you do," hissed Ratasha as she carefully lifted herself up to a sitting position.

"But you should have never taken my word so readily over Leonhard's. Those who claim that blood is thicker than water really do overstate the case, my fellow mouse."

"No...!"

"In truth," Vermine lectured as the aura flickered in view again, leading to Roland and Ratasha flinching as the pain of their wounds, old and new, flared, "Leonhard was too nauseatingly good-natured to betray you. He would never contemplate an idea so base as manipulating you to keep mousekind in check. And as it turns out, you are easy to manipulate!"

"Vermine," growled Mausinger as he grasped his wounded arm again, "How could you?!"

"Why, for power, of course," sniffed Vermine. "Taking the title of Earl of Summerlands and the role of Chancellor was just the beginning. My goal...is the throne."

He turned to Doloran enthusiastically, "Now, My Lord, I fulfilled my end of the bargain. My price was the kingdom and I wish to claim it."

"Of course," said Doloran as Vermine lit up in joy, "you must be rewarded for your faithful service."

A ball of darkness formed in his hand and grew. He flung it at the Chancellor and it engulfed him until an outline of him that shined similarly to a ghost's fire was driven out of him.

The darkness dissipated and Vermine collapsed to his knees, unseeing. The pain Ratasha and Roland were feeling vanished as well. The source of their curses was no longer able to keep maintaining with force of will.

Everyone stared at the unfocused man in shock. What...what just happened?

"Doloran!" Roland was the first to regain his wits, "What did you do to him?!"

"I repaid a debt to a traitor," answered Doloran as he eyed the chancellor with contempt.

He turned to view everyone in the room, "This accursed kingdom...Not only was the previous ruler too pure-hearted to succumb to my manipulations, but so was his closest aide and successor! Even his own son was immune!" He glared at Evan, who refused to back away.

"In the end," he waved a dismissive hand to the comatose Vermine, "I was forced to settle with this worm. So much precious time has been wasted."

"But now," he added excitedly, "My plan is coming to fruition! It's just a shame that a lot of you wont be able to see it."

"W-why?" blurted out a guard.

"Because," said Doloran as purple smoke curled around his feet, " _he's_ coming. Good bye." He was enveloped by the smoke and when it cleared away, he was gone. He had escaped.

Fog began filling the throne room. A silhouette formed and everyone readied their weapons.

Oakenhart emerged from the fog with glowing red eyes. It launched into the air and roared. A wind threatened to blow them all away.

"Oakenhart!" cried out Mausinger as he stood his ground, "has it really come to this?"

With the link between ruler and Kingmaker severed, Mausinger had no way to truly calm Oakenhart down. He knew what was must be done if the kingdom was to survive the ancient Kingmaker's wrath. He lifted his sword.

"You're not doing this alone," Evan stepped to Mausinger's side, eyes gleaming in determination, "We fight him together!"

Given the familiarity the Evermore delegation showed to Doloran, Mausinger had a feeling they all knew how to handle an out of control Kingmaker.

"Of course," he said. In truth, he feared facing Oakenhart's wrath, even if it was justly deserved.

He blinked and suddenly he was in a clearing in an ancient forest. How...how did they get here? He spotted Ratasha and Gregory looking around in confusion as well. He couldn't see Vermine anywhere. Is...is his body still in Ding Dong Dell?

"Your Majesty, you're still wounded," Gregory ran up to Mausinger and cast a healing spell. Immediately, his arm knitted the sword slash back together until it was like it never happened, its only evidence being the torn and bloodied sleeve. He also felt less weary and more alert.

Right on time too. King Evan's strange Higgledy-like Kingmaker was warning everyone of the plants that anchored themselves to the ground after Oakenhart launched them. Bad things will happen if they release their pollen.

Mausinger sliced a nearby plant with his sword and it immediately withered and died.

And then a Higgledy materialized. How...how strange.

It ran over to another plant and squeaked. Mausinger obediently slashed it. Ratasha and Gregory noticed his movements and aimed their spells at the remaining plants. The resulting group of Higgledies created a barrier of wind that redirected a pillar of vines Oakenhart fired at the little red haired pirate girl to the sky.

Oakenhart roared in frustration and glowed purple. Oh no.

"Get behind me, everyone!" Mausinger shouted as he formed a barrier of his own, "he is mustering his strength for a powerful attack!"

Everyone heeded his warning and with help from the blond mage with a Hydropolitan accent, the barrier expanded. Just in time too. A wave of power blasted across the battlefield and vines sprouted everywhere. If it weren't for the barrier, they would've been caught in it.

Mr. Crane fired a gravity spell from his gun and Oakenhart collapsed.

 _I'm sorry_ , thought Mausinger as he activated his sword's flames once more and swiped at the Kingmaker's thick hide. It howled.

To his frustration, the Kingmaker got up and it was like they all ended up mirroring their previous actions once more.

"I believe, Sire, that fire works best against the Kingmaker," noted Ratasha.

"Right," said the pink haired woman as she dismissed her axe, "One fireball coming right up!"

"Really sorry about this," young King Evan sent a pillar of flame after Oakenhart, "please forgive us for resorting to your weakness, Ancient One."

And then eventually, after what felt like an eternity, Oakenhart conceded defeat. With a blink, they were returned to the throne room where guards voiced their shock at their reappearances. Oakenhart was no longer present. Vermine remained in his spot, never acknowledging anyone's presence. His chest rising and falling was an immediate sign that he is still alive.

It...it was like the battle never happened.

Adrenaline and the need to survive spent, exhaustion and horror took over and Mausinger collapsed to his knees.

Oh gods, what has he done? What _hasn't_ he done?

"Ding Dong Dell is doomed," he whimpered, "I have doomed it. To have my Kingsbond taken from me so easily...I wasn't strong enough to stop it. I...I am not fit to rule."

Hells, he wasn't able to resist the handful of times Vermine used whatever magic he got from that sorcerer. The words and actions he had done felt...natural but that was Vermine's doing. But...even though Vermine manipulated him into thinking his old friend was secretly betraying him, it was Mausinger who added the poison. No magic was needed.

He sobbed as he heard someone approach. He turned to see young Evan.

"Kill me, Tildrum. You have the right to do so after what I have done to you. Avenge your father. Avenge yourself. Avenge your kind."

"No," said the boy king, "I've had enough of needless death." So, it won't be by his hand then.

Evan knelt down in front of Mausinger, "Listen to me, Your Majesty. Ding Dong Dell, your kingdom, is not doomed. It will rise again because its people will work together rebuilding it. Mice, grimalkin, humans...

"But they'll need you to lead them," Evan added, "If I can have a second chance, then so can you."

A book materialized from his arms band, "My father trusted you. You cannot fail him now." He handed the book over and Mausinger instantly recognized it as Leonhard's diary. _Oh gods._

He leafed through the diary with dread. At last he found the last entry.

_...I trust in you still. I know that you will continue what we have started and that you will succeed._

Leonhard...he...

Mausinger ran hand down his face in an attempt to calm himself.

"He believed in me..." he whimpered. "And...I..."

Poisoned him.

Killed him.

Loud sobs echoed in the throne room as Mausinger cried out his despair, his guilt.

Tears dripped onto the diary. Oh great, he ruined one of the few things Evan has left of Leonhard.

And then the diary started glowing. A few feet away from the startled kings, ethereal lights started to form into a ball and the tell-tale wail of a ghost was heard.

Mausinger and Evan stared at the floating ball of flames and at the diary.

"Oh!" Evan stood up, "Hang on! _Spectra!_ " A large circle with the ancient symbol associated with Spirit Medium enveloped the floor.

When the light faded, everyone could see a ghostly version of the former King of Ding Dong Dell, King Leonhard Tildrum.

" _Hello, old friend,_ " greeted Leonhard warmly.

Mausinger stared up at his friend's spirit with a dropped jaw. His wits returned and he shifted so he would be kneeling on one knee and laid a hand over his heart. He bowed, "Y-your Majesty...I..."

" _Be still, Otto,_ " said Leonhard, " _I forgive you._ "

"W-what?" gasped Mausinger, "But I-"

Leonhard shook his head, " _Our peoples have borne each other ill will since time immemorial. I knew that the rift between mousekind and grimalkin would not heal so easily during my lifetime. It can only be done one step at a time. But...one day, our races will stand together, hand in hand, and all thoughts of oppression a thing of history._ "

"I have widened that rift," confessed Mausinger, "The progress you made has been nullified."

" _Nonsense, it has not. Not when you have the opportunity to truly shine as king._ "

"But I killed you! I stole the throne from your son! I...I don't deserve to be king," the mouse looked down at the floor in shame.

"Mausinger..." said Evan unhelpfully.

" _I've always trusted you, Otto, and I always will. Like my dear son, you see far. You both see further than I ever could. You both are makers of plans, doers of deeds. Both true rulers._ " At this, both of Leonhard's successors gasped. Mausinger then shook his head in disagreement.

The ghost tilted his head, " _I sense doubt in you, Otto. Doubt in others born from doubt in yourself. A king must learn to trust his own judgement._ "

Mausinger looked back up at Leonhard, surprised, "A king...You see me as worthy?"

" _Who better to rule the realm I love than the one who loves it just as fiercely?_ " replied Leonhard. Evan's ears and tail drooped at the implication that he _didn't_ care about Ding Dong Dell enough to try fighting for it.

"If...if it pleases you, Your Majesty," said Mausinger resigned.

" _It does,_ " smiled Leonhard as he laid a spectral hand on Mausinger's shoulder, " _I know you will not fail._ "

"...Thank you, Your Majesty."

Leonhard turned to look at Evan, who immediately stood to attention. Leonhard smiled.

" _My son, you faced so much trial and hardship since my passing._ "

"I have, Father," agreed Evan.

" _Yet despite of it, you flourished. You thrived._ " He knelt down so he was face to face with Evan.

" _I am so proud of you._ " He embraced his son and Evan found that instead of the horrid cold ghosts are paradoxically known for, he felt warmth. It was like his father was still alive.

"F-father," whimpered Evan.

The spirit of King Leonhard pulled himself away and Evan reluctantly let go.

The ghost was beginning to destabilize, " _I must be on my way. When we meet again, I want to hear the tales of two kingdoms who was made great by their wise and benevolent rulers. Farewell, Otto. I leave Ding Dong Dell is in your hands. Watch over the realm we have loved so well. Please, do not fail me._ "

"I shall not, my dear friend," promised Mausinger, his eyes reddened.

" _Farewell, my son. Your journey is not over yet. You will face more challenges but I know you will overcome them._ "

"I will father," promised Evan, tears streaming down his cheeks.

"Farewell," said Mausinger and Evan.

The ghost broke up into many balls of light, its final message at last spoken. King Leonhard can finally pass on. As the lights drifted to the skylight, Roland and Batu jumped as they heard a voice, " _Thank you for guiding my son._ "

Mausinger and Evan watched as the last remnants of Leonhard faded away.

He...he is truly gone now.

But...they have made a promise. They'll make him proud.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I have never written 4,500 or so words for one chapter before. This fic is really kicking me over some milestones. Anyway:
> 
> Who ghost-wrote that letter because the idea of Mausinger or Vermine writing 'TO HIS RADIANT MAJESTY' when it is the kid who they share history with. Mausinger was around when Evan was a baby. He definitely got barfed on. You can't convince me otherwise.
> 
> Ratasha at last shows up after being mentioned in a couple of chapters. She's also an OC from my Kingdom Hearts crossover (...which I have been procrastinating on this whole time) just like Tomca. She is loyal to the Crown and she hates Vermine and his Grima Wormtongue shtick with all her being.
> 
> The reason why Vermine's curse isn't nullified on Roland is because since its not killing him, it's not really the Horned One's concern. It's more of a dick move sort of annoyance. And like, I doubt Vermine got all of his dark magic from Doloran/The Horned One. The Horned One can't be the source of all dark magic for the past two thousand years otherwise anyone who canonically casts dark spells would be in trouble when the end-game plot kicks in. *shrugs*
> 
> I rewrote King Leonhard's speech because it bothered me that he makes this speech that emotionally compromises Mausinger and then he just...nods at Evan before passing on. Yes, Evan could have read what his father wrote about him in his father's diary but Evan went and created a kingdom and forged allies with several other nations in a short amount of time at the age of, like, 10. That's pretty impressive. WHY WONT YOU ACKNOWLEDGE IT, DAD?
> 
> So yeah, now both of his successors get to be punched in the feels. I feel it makes a better impact.
> 
> Next chapter is definitely going to be shorter since its a wrap up chapter. After that...ooooh boy.
> 
> See y'all next time.


	29. Entry 26 - Burying the Hatchet

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> A historic moment is happening and you're invited. Do you a) wear your favorite t-shirt and shorts or b) splurge on a tuxedo rental

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Another thing I can't avoid anymore: Declaration of Interdependence signing scenes. It...went places.

* * *

Day 317/February 2, 20XX

Captain Buck: Chancellor Vermine is currently under arrest for conspiracy and treason against the Crown. He will face trial when he recovers.

Xander: 'When he recovers?' What happened?

Captain Buck: According to eyewitnesses, he was betrayed by his co-conspirator who used magic to disable him after attempting to interfere with negotiations between King Mausinger and King Evan.

Gene: ...They were doing what now?

Tabbias: sklsrhdjk WHAT

* * *

The two Kings had agreed to wait on signing the Declaration of Interdependence. Leonhard's final message had emotionally drained them.

Surprisingly, Mausinger allowed Evan to hold on to the Mark of Kings and also offered to host the Evermore delegation in the castle. Evan's room has been left untouched except for resetting the trap door after Roland's escape a couple of weeks prior.

The room Roland had stayed in prior turned out to be located close to the barracks. Fitting for a man who suspiciously betrayed a nation he had helped build. If he had tried anything before the 'test,' he would've been captured quickly and used as target practice.

"...That's fair," shrugged Roland as he was lead to a suite reserved for ambassadors.

Maids lead by Ratja descended upon Evan the moment they heard he was planning to stay until the Declaration was signed.

"Goodness, you've grown," said one holding a measuring tape.

"Um, yes," agreed Evan as he tried to inch away.

"We had an outfit ready for your coronation months ago," said another maid, a young mouse girl, "shame you never got to wear it."

Evan blinked, "You did?"

"Of course, King Evan," confirmed Ratja, "we saved it in case you came back."

"O-oh."

"Melinda," said the maid with the measuring tape to another maid, "track down that pirate girl. She's not getting out of this either."

* * *

To Melinda's surprise (and relief), the pirate child turned out to have a dress stored in her arms band 'just in case.' Its work suspiciously reminded her of Lady Penelope and she told the girl so.

"Oh yeah, I made it with her months ago. Finally, a chance to wear this thing other than to break laws in."

"W-what?"

* * *

[Private message from Jared to Batu]

Jared: Mr. Batu, sir! There's rumors of you guys staying in Dell until the Declaration is signed.

Batu: Aye, it's true.

Jared: Sounds like the perfect time to try out this stupid fancy court outfit some of the guys and I made for you.

Batu: Ye what now

* * *

"Are people trying to make a fancy outfit for you too?" asked Bracken as she watched Leander carefully climb into the crate next to her.

"Indeed," confirmed Leander.

"I mean, you look fancy enough already. Why change it?"

"...Thank you."

"And you have magic, right?" Bracken pointed out, "You can just change your clothes in an instant."

Leander peered into Bracken's crate, "Are you asking me to use magic to create a ball gown for you?"

"...Maybe. Well, not a ball gown. You can't work on stuff in that."

* * *

"Ah, Mr. Crane." Roland did a double take as a mouse soldier dressed in armor similar to the Black Knight approached him. Yet his armor was more polished and his voice less sinister. He was also holding a pair of white boots and a bag of cloth. "Just the man I was looking for."

"You were looking for me?" asked Roland.

"Indeed, sir," confirmed the mouse, "there's talk about fancying up the signing ceremony to make it more...official."

"Official," parroted Roland as he raised an eyebrow.

"As in making this an event for the ages. One that everyone would be talking about for years to come."

"Is this a warning?" Hmmm...would his suit do? Or the robes from Goldpaw...?

"Not...exactly..." the soldier looked down at the boots, "Er, well...yes. Some of us have noticed you seem to wear that coat all the time. I understand you must miss Ding Dong Dell a lot but there are limits to what you can get away with. So we went and tracked down some materials and in a day or so we'll have something ready for you."

"Er...thank you...er..."

"It's Grimm, sir. And you're welcome," satisfied, Grimm continued on his way. He internally debated whether or not he should tell the man that he also meant it as a way to redeem himself for his role in the coup. But...that isn't enough, isn't it? No, it's best to leave the kingdom and look for...a challenge. Until then, he'll have to make do by helping Fred work up the nerve to actually do something about his crush.

* * *

"Is this really needed?" asked Mausinger as a small army of seamstresses and outfitters descended upon him.

"But sire, we need you to make an impression," said one mouse, "we've heard that servants still loyal to the House of Tildrum already have made a magnificent outfit for King Evan. It'll make you look _drab_!"

"But we're just signing a treaty!"

"But this treaty will have historic significance to your reign, Your Majesty."

Mausinger sighed, "Alright, just...don't overdue it."

* * *

[Private message from Chingis to Batu]

Chingis: Hey chief, can ye pass this on to Evan?

Batu: What is it?

Chingis: It's from Tyran. He claims he's been thrown out by his men and he's currently living near the Forest of Niall.

Batu: Ye do realize what's goin' to happen if I tell the lad, right?

Batu: But then again, he must be itchin' fer an escape...

Chingis: Ye've been captured?

Batu: Nay but we're bein' swarmed by dressmakers over here.

Chingis: ...That explains the questions that Broadleaf landlubber's been asking.

* * *

Day 318/February 3, 20XX

"Evan, lad," said Batu as he spotted the young king peeking around a corner. The lad jumped, startled.

"Oh, Batu!" said the boy nervously, "Is there something you need?"

"Tyran is askin' fer ye. He's giving up on takin' Evermore," Batu declared.

"That is good news," Evan was relieved by this. Now he has less things to worry about.

"He's also been overthrown and he's hidin' in a cave near Niall's woods."

"That's terrible!" yelped Evan just as Batu predicted, "We should go help him!"

He quickly looked around to see if he accidentally attracted attention. The dressmakers have been relentless about the whole thing.

"See if you can gather up the others," Evan ordered, "I'll try to gain audience with Mausinger about this errand. Good luck."

"We're really goin' to do this, lad?" Batu sighed, "After all that trouble?"

"Of course! He...he has no one now." His tail and ears drooped as he frowned. Batu sighed at the obvious guilt trip tactic.

"He wasn't exactly friendly with us in the past, lad," Batu pointed out.

"I know," Evan admitted, "but...I can't help but get the feeling he doesn't dislike us as much as he pretends to claim."

Ah hell, he's not going to win this argument, isn't he? Batu pinched the bridge of his nose in resignation.

"Alright. It's your funeral, lad, if he betrays us all in our sleep."

"I understand."

* * *

Tracking down Tani and Roland was easy. What wasn't easy was finding out where Bracken and Leander squirreled themselves away. Luckily Roland had the presence of mind to send a private message through Leafbook to Bracken, who he assumed would definitely answer immediately.

The five of them met up in Roland's previous room.

"Alright," started Bracken, "we're all here except Evan. What's going on?"

"Tyran," said Batu simply.

"Again?" Bracken ran her fingers through her hair, "Didn't we beat him up a month ago?"

"His men staged a coup and kicked him out. Evan wants to try to help him," explained Batu.

"I'm not surprised," sighed Leander, "that His Majesty would seek out someone who attempted him harm in the past."

"Not all of us can go with him," Roland pointed out, "Some of us will have to stay here."

"I'll go," said Bracken suddenly, "No offense but fancy dresses don't suit me and I don't want to spend hours getting fitted into one."

"Understandable," Roland nodded.

"I'll go too," decided Leander, "who else is coming?"

"I already have something picked out," Tani revealed, "I'll go."

"I have a fitting in an hour," sighed Roland, resigned, "and I doubt I can sneak my way out this time."

"I suppose you'll need back up, lad," Batu realized.

"Two out of four officials remaining in Ding Dong Dell," mused Leander.

"That does sound suspicious, doesn't it?" said Bracken, "but what can you do?"

* * *

Unfortunately, all attempts to leave the castle failed. The moment the group finalized their decision, a group of outfitters burst into the room. Bracken quickly grabbed onto Leander the moment she noticed he started to glow with an activated teleportation spell. They wouldn't be seen again until two days later.

Evan also wasn't lucky. He was halfway to Mausinger's quarters when Gregory stopped him, unaware of Melinda and Ratja's nearby presence. The mage watched, bemused, as the maids dragged him away.

"...I wonder what that was about," said Gregory.

* * *

Day 320/February 5, 20XX

At last the day had arrived. It was time to complete Evan's goal.

They all met in the throne room once more. Evan was dressed in a dark blue tunic that had a purple and teal pattern on the front, a darker red cape that had a brooch shaped like a cat's paw holding it together, and teal calf-length pants. A circlet with Evermore's crest rested on his head. He approached Mausinger and lightly bowed.

"King Mausinger," he initiated, "I humbly propose that a pact be made between our realms. Will you sign the Declaration of Interdependence?"

Mausinger, meanwhile had put his foot down during the downtime and demanded a less intricate outfit than the more...extravagant ideas the outfitters had been drawing up. He managed to get away with dark green robes of fine silk that had Dellian mouse script on the front lining that, if translated, said 'unity and prosperity for all.' A crown with a mouse shaped foot print adorned his head.

He too bowed, "I accept your proposal. Our kingdoms shall stand as one and so shall it be."

"It would be what Leonhard had wanted," he added softly.

"Thank you, Your Majesty. Let us work together to make a brighter world," replied Evan.

"Are they winging it?" whispered a noble.

"Who knows," replied another, "now shush."

"...You have come far, King Evan of the House of Tildrum," Mausinger was saying, "Ding Dong Dell will gladly stand beside Evermore. The enmity of generations will no longer stand in our way."

The scroll containing the Declaration of Interdependence materialized from Evan's arms band. It instantly flew upwards until it hovered between them. It unraveled itself until it revealed the full details of the document which was text stating the treaty's terms and encircled emblems resembling the Kingmakers of Evermore, Goldpaw, Hydropolis, and Broadleaf adorning the Declaration. One circle remained empty. It was awaiting for Ding Dong Dell to sign.

Mausinger summoned his unlit sword and watched as Evan retrieved an old stick that was adorned with runes not seen in centuries. Mausinger raised an eyebrow at him and the boy smiled sheepishly. He wondered how much convincing was needed for Evermore's prideful Kingmaker to accept an ancient wand.

Evan started first. He raised the wand and said loudly, "Let our nations be joined, for the sake of the world."

Mausinger followed suit and raised his sword, surprised to find the words instantly coming to him, "Let the banner of war ne'er again be unfurled."

They clashed the symbols of their kingdoms together in front of the scroll as it glowed in response of the ritual, "United we stand, as one single land!" The wheel containing emblems of the Five Kingdoms moved counterclockwise until one resembling Oakenhart joined them. The wheel spun until it returned to its original position. It stayed like that for a few moments until the Scroll furled and slowly hovered to Evan, who caught it and stored it into his arms band.

"It is done," said Evan, "the world stands united."

He achieved what no one thought was possible.

* * *

[Later on Leafbook]

Gene: Is it true? Are we allied with Ding Dong Dell now?

Xander: What a weird dream I'm having.

Yu Sei: All five Kingdoms have been united in about nine months. What an achievement for King Evan.

Merv: I wonder what's next on his to-do list...

Trey: Wow, have you guys seen the pictures coming out? Everyone looks great. Even the guards look shiny.

Tabbias: To be honest, I'm not sure why Lord Summerlands included that neck cone thing. That's been out of style for ages.

Gene: Tradition, most likely.

[Meanwhile]

Fred: YOU GUYS CHECK THIS OUT.

Fred: (Picture of Roland in the Chief Consul Coat)

Di Di: Oh my gods, he looks amazing.

Fred: I know, right? Some of my fellow guards helped our captain make it for him.

Bracken: I was wondering where he got that. I thought he was going for the jacket and pants thing.

Fred: I know he's kinda married but...I want to talk to him.

Tiffany: !

Bracken: Want me to run interference?

Linda: You can do it Fred!

Arty: We believe in you!

Fred: HERE I GO

[15 minutes later]

Arty: How did it go?

Fred: AAAAAAAAA-

Bracken: He complimented Roland's hair and fled.

Fred: HE'S TOO HANDSOME IN PERSON. I WANNA DIE.

Ah Chu: Please don't. It'll make things awkward.

Fred: Okay...

* * *

[Meanwhile]

Doloran laughed in triumph as he held the orb containing the final Kingsbond he needed to release the Horned One.

"At last, after all these years," he said giddily, "I can finally set you free, my love."

He was aware that a holiday celebrating love which Roland's nation observed was approaching in less than a fortnight. He could release her on that day. Make it symbolic, even if Roland is the only one who gets it. What's nine more days in the face of two thousand years of loneliness?

Doloran needed Roland to understand. They were similar. They'll do anything to see their loved ones happy. To see their nation rise once more. Doloran never lost sight of his goal, like Roland has. He'd never use substitutions for the real thing.

"Soon, Alisandra, we shall see Allegoria rise once more..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The outfit Evan's wearing at the ceremony is similar to the one he wears in one scene during the ending. I just changed the color and pattern of the shorts because the original shorts just clashed with the whole thing.
> 
> This was originally going to be a simpler chapter but then I really wanted to include the post game outfits but I kinda ignored the dream doors so...let's just ignore the quest requirements shall we? For reference look up quests 171-175 to see the results of going through the 10th dream door a bajillion times.
> 
> Tani gets to wear the dress she last wore in Hydropolis because it was made for fancy formal events such as the one covered here. No Queen's Gown for her considering she's like 10, Batu would kill everyone in the room and then himself if you ever suggest her getting married in his presence, and she and Evan never really did anything ship-tastic during the game anyway so I'm pretty neutral on the ship side of things. Give them 5-10 years and maybe they'll consider each other. Just let them be kids for now. :|
> 
> Mausinger gets a stupid fancy outfit as well because it would be weird if he didn't.
> 
> I'm not sure where Fred and his subplot came from but I feel so proud of him for trying.
> 
> I went back to the early chapters to see when Goldpaw signed the Declaration but since it was off screen between chapters 4 and 5, I'm going to say...Sometime in late June? That's about nine-ish months, right?
> 
> I also tried inserting Tyran into the mix but Ratja and her posse said no. We're covering him next chapter. Its probably best that way. *shrugs*


	30. Entry 27 - Population boom

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> *procrastinates on the plot*
> 
> Also, who here is excited about the DLC finally being announced? Finally, a reason to actually buy a season pass.

Day 321/February 6, 20XX

A petite figure crept into the darkened room. They silently walked over to a desk where a book rested. A pen with a feather attached laid next to it. They picked up the book and opened it to the latest page.

_The coat Captain Grimm and his colleagues have made for me has seemed to have caused a stir. Reactions has been so far positive but I'm worried it might go overboard. The irony of social media focusing on fashion during a political event has not gone over my head but...why me and not Timaeus' (who I am surprised had decided to attend the event despite his anti-mouse opinions) neck ruffle thing?_

The reader yelped as they noticed the pen twitching. The feather began to morph until it started to resemble an eye.

The figure fled, her spotted cape fluttering.

* * *

Day 323/February 8, 20XX

The Evermore delegation had decided to stay in Ding Dong Dell for a couple more days. As much Evan wanted to seek out Tyran, the bandit 'king' was assumed to be experienced in outdoor living and thus would know how survive the winter.

Mausinger had decreed that all laws persecuting grimalkin to be abolished (just like the ones regarding mice were when Mausinger took over) and that those who were driven away into the slums were allowed to return to their homes and businesses. The travel ban was lifted and so everyone was allowed to enter and leave the Kingdom without requiring prior permission.

The effects were immediate. Families returned to their homes. Grimalkin nobility who barricaded themselves into their castle suites or their mansions tentatively emerged. There was rumors that a grimalkin and mouse couple embraced each other out in the open. Several Broadleaf citizens were seen reuniting with their Dellian-based relatives. People who had fled after the coup cautiously came back to visit the Kingdom for a day.

And yet there was mutterings of unrest. Not everyone was quick to forgive Mausinger's actions. Leonhard Tildrum was a beloved king and to have his closest friend betray him and his son forgiving his murderer nearly a full year later was like a slap to the face for some people. The fact that former Chancellor Vermine manipulated him didn't help matters. Some mice, who were already disillusioned by the price of their sudden freedom, found it to be the last straw.

Evan had encountered several people who wanted to join Evermore. This included an old tutor of his who loved riddles, a mouse architect who hated that he had to deface the castle to make it more mouse-like, and to his bafflement, a young historian mouse boy who saw Evan as a potential political rival ("But...he's a flippin' king, mun!").

And then at last, it was time to return to Evermore. Evan bade Mausinger good-bye before stepping out of the gates leading into the city to teleport home.

* * *

To everyone's great surprise, it had turned out that the outfit Bracken had been cheerfully wearing was merely a transfigured version of one of her work outfits. With a snap of her fingers followed by smashing a pebble she kept in a pocket with one of her mallets, the spell was canceled.

"YOU MEAN THAT WAS ALL MAGIC?" Andrew asked when he finally tracked her down a few hours later. Bracken got the feeling that if the robot was human, he would narrowing his eyes in disapproval.

"Afraid so," Bracken admitted.

Andrew paused for a moment, as if processing such a concept. And then he beeped.

"I WILL MAKE IT REAL," he declared, "AS MINISTER OF INGENUITY YOU DESERVE THE BEST."

"Thanks. I..." she jumped back as a red light bathed her, "what are you doing?!"

"SCANNING FOR MEASUREMENT FACTORS BEFORE I START CREATING. DON'T ORGANICS DO THAT TOO?"

"Yes, but not like this!"

"SCAN COMPLETE."

"That was fast," said Bracken.

"BECAUSE I DID IT BETTER AND MORE EFFICIENTLY," bragged Andrew before waving an arm at her leg, "WHY IS YOUR PROSTHETIC LEG SO OUT OF DATE?"

"Sentimental reasons," shrugged Bracken, "I like my leg the way it is."

"YOU ORGANICS ARE ILLOGICAL," complained Andrew, "WHY CAN'T YOU BE LIKE ME? EFFICIENTLY LOGICAL AND SUPERIOR."

"...I think I can see why Roland's people are wary about robots."

* * *

Day 324/February 9, 20XX

"Chingis," said Evan as he approached the sky pirate, "did we really get a letter from Tyran?"

"Aye, Yer Majesty," confirmed Chingis, "was delivered by a bird this time too."

"That's different."

"Aye. I still have the letter if ye want to read it," Chingis handed it over.

Evan read it a few times, trying to process what Tyran trying to say with his spelling.

"It says here he's in Squeezethrough Grotto," Evan mused aloud. That sure narrows it down from 'cave near Niall's forest.'

"Are ye really goin' after him?" asked Chingis.

"Of course, I can't just leave him be!"

"Alright. Just be safe, ye hear?"

* * *

They indeed found Tyran in the grotto. It was damp inside but it also protected him from the winter elements outside.

"Tyran!" greeted Evan as he ran up to the Bandit.

"So, ya actually came," Tyran was surprised to see the boy.

"You said there was a coup!" said Evan, "what happened?"

Irritation welled within the bandit. Really? Like the brat king didn't know?

"Don't play dumb, kitty-cat!" he shouted, "this is all your doin'!"

"How, mun?" asked Lofty, "We just got here!"

"If ya galahs hadn't tired out my boys with all that fightin', they wouldn't have betrayed me! They'd never've upped sticks and left!"

"That's not a coup!" sighed Lofty, "That's just a walk-out!"

"I have to say, Tyran," said Evan, "I'm actually relieved. I was expecting the worst."

This seemed to placate the bandit, "Strike a light! I heard it all now. Me old sparrin' partner worried about me!" He scratched the back of his head, "I gotta tell ya, I miss our scraps."

He shrugged, "And ya taught me heaps about meself too. See, I used to think ya were some kitty-eared grommet who'd come and stole me land. I mean, who wouldn't be wound up about that, yeah?

"But then I saw Evermore for meself and found meself thinkin', 'huh, this kid ain't a bad king.'"

"Thank you."

"Ya welcome. Anyway, I had always thought I was a big, tough bandit king all set to build a nation o' ne'er-do-wells on the plains. But then I kept losing to you until the boys just up and left." Tyran sighed, "Well, I've realized that I'm no ruler at all. The true ruler of the Heartlands is you."

"Oh-"

"Oi, not done talkin'. Truth is, I need a favor."

"What is it?" asked Evan.

"If any of me old muckers come by and ask to join ya, ya let 'em in, yeah?"

"Well..." started Evan, "if all of your friends are moving to Evermore, then why don't you join, too?"

"What?" gasped Tyran, "Really? For real?!"

"Of course, mun!" said Lofty, by now resigned to Evan's impulsive invitations, "the more the merrier."

"I could go and find your friends," offered Evan, ignoring Lofty as the Kingmaker stared at him incredulously.

"Them too? Well...I know where three of them are, at least," Tyran thought it over. "Well, the first drongo is a soppy ol' soul who loves nothin' better than the mornin' sun. He'd go forever about how he was gonna wake up early every day and work in the fields once we took over Evermore. The next one is a sucker for boats and is itchin' for sea-based piracy. The last bloke loves high places and would talk about gettin' an air ship and flyin' really high for...huh. Never asked him why."

"So in other words, mun," summarized Lofty, "they're all fans of the great outdoors?"

"Sounds about right," agreed Tyran, "so don't go looking in caves!"

* * *

Day 325/February 10, 20XX

Somehow, it took Evan a day to find the three bandits. While searching for the third, he came across a Dellian mouse soldier, who Roland recognized as Grimm, battling a monster tainted by the Horned One. It would turn out that the mouse was trying to redeem himself by taking on monsters stronger than him.

"But why?" asked Evan once they (including the two bandits) helped him defeat the creature.

"Because I was one of the leaders during the coup that day," confessed Grimm, "I thought I was making a difference. I thought things would get better."

He sighed, "Instead, the grimalkin were punished and driven into the darkness. That wasn't better at all!"

"Things got better in Ding Dong Dell now," Evan reassured, "everyone's considered equal."

"And where does that leave me?" asked Grimm, "I still remember what I've done. There's...nothing else I can do in the face of peace."

The female bandit Tyran recommended strode up to the mouse and smacked him across the face with her staff.

"Oi ya whiny wanker!" she scolded the stunned soldier, "Whaddya mean there's nothin' ya can do in peacetime? There's plenty! For one, ya can start over from scratch, like I'm doin'!"

"You really think I can start over?"

"Of course!" Evan chimed in, "You can try over at Evermore! There's plenty of people from all over the world with different backgrounds. I'm sure some can help you get used to living in peace! Of course, some people have been through a lot and it's not easy to forget but...we all want the same thing: To live happily ever after! And to do that, we're all working together."

"You...would really do that for me?" said Grimm, astonished, "You'd offer a place for me? A home?"

"That's right," Evan smiled.

"I...thank you, Your Majesty," bowed Grimm. "For giving me a second chance."

After sending him on his way to Evermore, the search continued and eventually, the final recommended bandit was found on a high cliff.

"Oi, Dirk," called out their first found bandit, "how's the view?"

Dirk turned around in surprise, "Barty! Mia! What are ya doin' here? Wait, is that King Evan? Is he sendin' ya here to kill me as a test?"

"W-what?" stammered Evan, horrified.

"Does this look like a vengeful lad to you?" Barty shook his head, "Nah, the Boss was lookin' for us and the kid here wants us to live in his shiny kingdom."

Dirk narrowed his eyes in suspicion as he stared at the group for a moment. He then shrugged, "Lemme get the Boss' word first. Ya know where he is?"

* * *

"Ya came back!" Tyran was surprised to see the young king return with the three bandits he described.

"Sorry we ditched ya, boss," said Barty.

"King Evan is a good bloke but he's not the only one," added Mia, "we love ya, Boss!"

"Can ya forgive us?" pleaded Dirk, "It's...not the same without ya."

Tyran made a weird sniffing noise before he rapidly shook his head and crossed his arms against his chest to look tough, "Gah! Shut yer whinin', ya drongos! What are ya, babies? 'Course I want ya back! What's a bandit king without followers, eh?"

He dropped the tough act, "...Well, not that I'm gonna be a king. Kitty here is the real king round these parts, which is why I'm joinin' him. Ya in?"

"Yeah sure!" the bandits said together.

"We'll just track down the others and ask em while we're at it," said Mia, "It'll take awhile..."

"Eh, should ya give yer kingdom the heads up though?" Barty asked Evan, "Don't want anyone thinkin' they're under attack."

"Of course," nodded Evan, "that would be a good idea. Now then, are you all ready to head over to Evermore?"

* * *

Settling the bandits into Evermore turned out to be easier than Evan thought. Turns out some of the army and townsfolk have grown fond of Tyran despite his many attempts.

"Besides," added a sky pirate, "We have ways of dealing with intruders."

"Um...right," Evan said. He shuddered at the thought of what possibly happened to the poor spy.

* * *

Day 328/February 13, 20XX

After a practice battle with Ding Dong Dell's forces where everyone wondered if the general in charge really was play-acting or he was displeased by an actual traitor, Evan encountered Marlene again.

"What was that about? Did war break out between the kingdoms?" she asked.

Evan shook his head, "Practice mock battle. But if it was real, then Evermore would be considered the victor."

"Oh good," said the former court mage, "I'd hate to pick sides. By the way, do you have room for me and the boys?"

"The more the merrier!" confirmed Evan while Lofty slapped himself.

[Meanwhile]

"The day is almost here," grinned Doloran.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> And with that, we got a crap ton of citizens and a robot determined to use SCIENCE to create stuff.
> 
> Architect guy's and kid who sees Evan as a political rival's backstories are in the citizen's almanac. Unfortunately I forgot architect guy's name but I think the mouse kid is Klaus? *shrugs*


	31. Entry 28 - The Horned One's Return

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Local furry ruins Valentine's Day for everyone

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Guess what, it's the beginning of the final arc. :O 
> 
> I have a vague idea on how to get through this but its probably enough to end this story in like five or so chapters.

Day 329/February 14, 20XX

Doloran smiled triumphantly as the columns surrounding the altar glowed in various colors. He did it. After two thousand years, he's completed his goal.

"The time has come. All four Kingsbonds belong to me." With a wave of his hand, the columns holding the Kingsbonds drained of color as he finalized the ritual. The altar's flames flared as the magic gained energy.

"At last I shall have my heart's desire!" laughed Doloran as he sensed a swell of satisfaction and approval from the Horned One through his own Kingsbond.

"Allegoria! Alisandra! You shall return to me!"

* * *

Evan couldn't help but feel something was wrong ever since he woke up earlier that day. Like...something terrible is about to happen.

The day started with Roland arriving to breakfast that morning with a pensive expression.

"Is something the matter?" Leander had asked.

Roland shook his head, "Not really, it's just...I've been having the same dream for the past few days. Today it got...ominous."

"What's it about?" Evan chimed in.

"I'm running through fog," Roland recalled, "I can't tell where I'm going and I can't see anything. All I hear is this woman's voice. She...sounds familiar but I have never heard it before in my life. She's worried about something and I can't get a straight answer from her. But last night it was different. She said the seal was broken and she can't hold it back anymore."

"Do you think..." Bracken pondered, "it's related to the Horned One?"

"But why me?" asked Roland, now worried, "why am I hearing her?"

"If I may be so bold," commented Leander as he readjusted his glasses, "perhaps she can be heard by you because of your status as an outsider?"

Roland sighed, "I have no idea how to help her..."

"If only we can find out where Doloran is hiding," said Tani, "then we could stop him."

"And this lad here can get the first shot in," grinned Batu as he clapped Roland on the shoulder, "and save the girl of his dreams while he's at it."

A loud clap of thunder interrupted their discussion and they all looked towards the windows. The sky was still clear.

"That was odd," Evan commented.

"See? The gods agree with me," said Batu.

"If anything," argued Roland with a slight smirk, "they are probably wondering what's taking so long for our Junior Consul to grace a certain queen with his presence."

"Well now, are ye planning to wait for another three hundred to do something?" Batu raised an eyebrow at this sudden redirect but was amused by the opportunity to tease.

"This is not the time for such talk," stammered Leander as he readjusted his glasses again to hide his blush.

Bracken giggled while Tani and Evan looked at each other in confusion.

* * *

A few hours later, Hydropolitans on Leafbook were posting about distant clouds getting darker and darker and someone claimed to see a column of water shooting up into the sky. A couple of Capstan sailors report the same thing.

This was enough to for everyone to agree that it may be worth investigating. Leander, Bracken, and Batu volunteered to take the airship and fly over to the area where its happening.

That was two hours ago, and Evan stood at the balcony outside of the throne room watching as clouds formed in the sky.

"Something...something's not right," he said out loud. The clouds grew darker in response.

He heard Tani's shocked cry from the throne room and Lofty yelping, "What the flip's wrong with you, mun? Pull youerself together!" Evan quickly ran back inside, arms band sparking as he readied to summon his sword just in case.

He was greeted by the sight of Roland pressing his good arm against his chest while gasping in pain as inky blackness drifted out of his body. Tani and Lofty looked on in horror.

"Roland!" shouted Evan.

"What the heck is happening?!" demanded Tani, voicing the question Evan was about to say.

Roland looked up at the sound of their voices, as if he remembered their presence. His thick eyebrows furrowed as his clouded eyes gazed at the children.

He growled and with a lot of effort, he resisted the effects of the dark...presence until it went away. His eyes cleared and his breathing became easy. However, he still looked rather pale.

"I'm...I'm okay," he gasped before straightening up. He turned to look at the windows, "but never mind me," he said in an attempt to divert their attention, "did you see how dark the sky got?"

"...Yes," said Tani, unimpressed by the diversion.

* * *

[Meanwhile]

"At last, the Horned One has returned!" declared Doloran as he sensed a stronger presence from the Kingsbond. There was a flare of frightened confusion from Roland's end of the link but that was to be expected. No matter, he'll explain it to the other man later.

He raised a gloved hand before tightening it into a fist, "Now, the people of this pathetic world shall give their souls to bring my beloved Alisandra to me!" She deserves more than just that pathetic chancellor to facilitate her return home.

And with more souls gathered, his nation, Allegoria, would become glorious to behold.

* * *

An hour later, Leander, Batu, and Bracken returned with grave news and a memolith full of pictures. The storm in the middle of the ocean was more violent than previously thought and was a herald for a giant rock-like being crashing into the water from a portal in the sky. The impact of its collision caused tidal waves to spread out into every direction. A land mass formed from the displaced ocean bed. It was high enough for the water to not fully reclaim it.

Once the being unfurled itself, it roared and red, blue, green, and violet beams of light formed a barrier around it. A closer look revealed that at the base of the beams were the Kingmakers of the four great nations. There wasn't much time to speculate what their presences meant because the being, now assumed to be the Horned One, began absorbing balls of light before releasing dark creatures into all directions.

"We can only assume that the continent that appeared was the land lost when the Horned One was sealed away," said Leander as he pointed to a picture that had a better focus on the prodigious Kingmaker.

"It's...enormous," commented Roland in disbelief. How were they supposed to defeat something so... _large_?

"It's Longfang!" exclaimed Evan when the memolith revealed the sealed Kingmakers.

"There's something...different about their bearings, I feel," said Leander, "They're facsimiles, brought upon by the power of the stolen Kingsbonds. They aren't true Kingmakers."

"You said it was absorbing spheres of lights?" asked Roland, "What are they?"

"Given that the Horned One released dark creatures after absorbing the first wave of lights, I can only assume that those spheres are souls of people from around the world," theorized Leander, "they get absorbed and transformed into monsters that are then enslaved to do the Horned One's bidding."

"That's awful," squeaked Evan.

"I believe this is what happened to former Chancellor Vermine after Doloran removed his soul. While his soul is pressed into the Horned One's service, his body is currently no more than a walking corpse."

"So you're saying that's it's no longer just him? That people around the world are becoming the living dead?" pondered Roland.

"How can we turn them back?" asked Evan.

"I'm not certain," said Leander regretfully, "but surely there's a way how."

"So, why are none of our folks losin' their souls?" asked Batu.

"I think it's due to Lofty," Bracken pointed out.

They all looked down at the suddenly nervous Kingmaker. "Me?" he fidgeted, "I en't done nothin', mun! Nothin' I swear!"

"You don't have to," Bracken reassured him, "you are what our nation has that the others don't have anymore. A Kingmaker. We are protected by the strong bond between you and Evan."

"Not bad, Oh Kingmaker," smiled Tani as she bent down to look at him.

Lofty puffed up his chest with a smug grin, "En't it, though!" He started to hop in place, switching a foot to land on between hops, "Reckon it may had to do somethin' like that! What, with me bein' important an' all!"

He looked up at Evan, who appeared to be in deep thought, "What's up, mun?"

"But why would Doloran do this?" Evan frowned, "Why would he be so desperate to bring back the Horned One in the first place?"

"I believe I can help you there," announced Queen Nerea as she walked into the throne room, the guard at the door put out that he didn't get to alert His Majesty of her presence.

"Your Majesty?" Leander was most surprised by her sudden appearance.

"Forgive my intrusion, King Evan," bowed the Queen of Hydropolis as she reached the throne, "Given the circumstances..."

"Not at all!" said Evan.

"I believe I have some information on Doloran and his possible motives," revealed Queen Nerea.

"You do?" prompted Evan.

"Two thousand years ago, Doloran was the ruler of a nation named Allegoria. He formed a Kingsbond with the Horned One in hopes of making his small and insignificant kingdom great. He had attempted to bend this evil to his will."

"That matches with what Niall told us back when we first learned of Doloran," said Roland while ignoring a nagging thought that what Nerea said wasn't exactly correct.

"Unfortunately for Doloran, things did not go as planned. Tragedy struck his kingdom and it vanished from the world instead," continued Nerea, "It is believed that he was unable to contain the Horned One's corruption and thus the entire continent Allegoria stood upon was spirited away to a place between worlds.

"Whatever happened, the result is the same. Doloran is determined to revive his kingdom."

"But why?" gasped Evan as he and his ministers looked on in shock, "Why would he bring it back after all these years?"

"Good question," said Bracken as she thought it out, "But I think I get why he needs Kingsbonds. Without them, he wouldn't be able to control something so powerful."

"But Ding Dong Dell has existed for centuries," Tani pointed out, "why didn't he go after Oakenhart until now?"

"Perhaps his strength wasn't enough?" theorized Roland, "Didn't conquering nations used to combine a captive Kingmaker with their own?"

"Indeed," agreed Nerea, "it must've made things harder for Doloran to collect Kingsbonds so he had to wait until a more peaceful time came."

"The last war Ding Dong Dell participated in was two hundred years ago with a northern neighbor," recalled Evan. "It is said that Oakenhart reduced the mountainous nation to rubble, forever changing the landscape in the process."

"Well now," interrupted Batu, "whether we have an inklin' as to why or not, I'd say the swab's wish is definitely comin' true."

"If Doloran got his Kingmaker and nation back," started Tani, "then why is he stealing souls?"

"He needs citizens," answered Nerea, "the more he has, the more powerful he becomes..."

"The more powerful the Horned One gets," finished Roland.

"And if Doloran was ambitious enough to recruit aide from such a creature, then I fear he will not be satisfied by just recovering his lost Kingdom," sighed Nerea. "He may be looking to bring everyone in the world under his dominion."

"He wants to take over the world?" hissed Evan, "We can't let him do that!"

"And how are we supposed to do that?" Tani argued, "You saw those pictures of that mountain of spikes, right?"

"There is one possibility you can try," the Queen revealed, "The sword Mornstar that was said to have sealed away the Horned One's evil all those centuries ago."

"I thought that was a wand," said Bracken.

"Dellian tradition states that it's a spell," added Evan.

"Perhaps," shrugged Nerea, "It's all three. But alas, its location has been lost. But there is still time to try to find it. If Mornstar can be found before the Horned One reaches its full strength, we may still have a chance."

"But how do we find it?" pondered Bracken.

"Indeed," agreed Leander, "Any tale that's over two thousand years old is surely fiction than fact by now. At this point, there would be no record of it."

"Actually," realized Tani, "we might know where to look for ancient records," she turned to look at the king, "Right, Evan?"

"Huh?" startled Evan before he recalled what Tani just said. A place where you can records...

"Of course!" he exclaimed, "the library in Goldpaw!"

"Ah, if anything from back then did survive, then you can bet that Boddly would know about it," said Roland, adding on to everyone's hopes.

"Then it appears we have a course of action," smiled Nerea, "We will inform the other rulers when it is time. We will rally them to the cause and prepare to take on the Horned One by force. In the meantime, you will seek out clues to Mornstar's whereabouts."

"Understood," nodded Evan.

"Very well," bowed Queen Nerea of Hydropolis, "Until we meet again." She teleported away, leaving a piece of paper behind. Curious, Leander picked it up, read it, and hurriedly stuffed it into his arms band.

"What did it say?" asked Tani.

"N-nothing," said Leander, calmly adjusting his glasses. He paused in the action and he tilted his head in concern, "Are you alright, Roland? You look pale."

They all turned to look at Roland, who shook his head. "I'm fine."

"Yer gettin' sweaty there, lad," Batu frowned as he looked at the other man more closely.

Bracken, noting how alarmed Evan, Tani, and Lofty are, quickly added, "Maybe you should go see a healer. Is your arm bothering you?"

"Only when it rains," replied Roland, "but you're right. I'll go and visit a healer."

He left the throne room and when he was sure nobody was in sight, he teleported into his room. He groaned as the dark inky substance emerged from his body as soon as he stopped holding it back. It felt like he was being pulled into several directions at once.

"What's...what's happening to me...?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's been about three months since I began this story and now we're at the end game. Oh snap.
> 
> For reference to the added dialogue, go to chapters 5 (Mornstar) and 14 (Kingmakers) for my attempts at expanded backstory. After posting chapter 5, I have since discovered a bunch more Mornstars in the game. The tally includes a sword, two wands (Mock Mornstar and True Mornstar), a special attack version of Dazzleslash, a backstory spell, and a souped up version of a light spell Evan can learn. And then this fic goes and includes a holiday involving Mornstar. lol
> 
> Roland's dialogue after the first instance of ~foreshadowing~ was kinda abrupt. "I'm fine but check it out you guys: clouds." It made sense to try and rewrite it a little. orz
> 
> (Also since we're not going by plot speed, let's just assume Leander and Nerea are romancing off screen considering this fic is pretty much in Evan's point of view and whatnot)


	32. Entry 29 - Coarse, irritating and gets everywhere

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So here's part 1 to the fetch quest of plot advancement section. I...may have gone overboard with the backstory orz

* * *

Day 331/February 16, 20XX

Two days had gone by since the Horned One invaded the world. Since then, there have been sightings of people collapsing in the street, eyes unseeing, as they fall comatose. Despite having their soul stolen, the victims are still alive. Perhaps, Leander had theorized, its because the souls are still in the mortal realm. Technically, no one has crossed over. Not yet.

Evan and his ministers waited a full day before visiting Goldpaw's library. Their reasons were that the situation needed some monitoring first (and they had time, it's not like Mornstar will be found easily), Roland needed to recover from whatever was ailing him (he seemed...less pale today and he insisted that something must be done about the Horned One), and...they needed to prepare for the library's mistress, Boddly.

"She can't be that bad," scoffed Bracken.

"If you say so, mun," said Lofty, cringing.

* * *

Evan, being the card holder, had approached Boddly to ask for her assistance. The head librarian was intrigued by his request.

"Hmmm?" she had said, "Bookie-wookies from two thousand years ago? Impossible! No such thing exists! They would've fallen apart by now."

"Oh..."

"But stoney-poos...well, we do have a strange, cold, flat old one from all the way back then."

"How so?" asked Roland.

Boddly grinned and Bracken had noticed a slight twitch from the Chief Consul, "You'll see soon enough, pretty boy!" Batu stiffed a snort, "Come along dearies!" Boddly pointed to an alcove before getting up and shuffling to her destination.

She stopped when she noticed Bracken. "Hmmm, who is this?"

"She's with us," said Evan quickly.

Boddly stared at Bracken intensely. "So...does girlie promise not to harm my bookie-wookies?"

"Yes," replied Bracken while restraining the urge to flee.

"Good," the librarian carried on.

Bracken waited until Boddly was far away as possible before conceding in a shell-shocked tone, "Okay, that was...wow."

"We warned you," sing-songed Tani.

* * *

The tablet Boddly had shown them was indeed as old as the legendary sword known as Mornstar and may be untranslatable. Leander and Lofty looked at it closely and found that ancient magic was preventing the tablet from being read.

"Lili could help you, yes?" suggested Boddly, annoyed that the thought of a curse placed on the tablet hadn't occurred to her until now. "Well versed in dispelling cursy-wursies!"

Unfortunately, while Li Li knew how to dispel the rather powerful curse on the tablet, she didn't have the means to do so. Seeing sand is hard to come by for the past three hundred years. According to some records, a volcano erupted in the Drylands region which in turn was said to trigger another volcano that rested on the bottom of the ocean. The first volcano rained ash on the country of Al Mamoon and awakened the more aggressive fangfish that rested under the sands. The scattered survivors of the disaster had split into several villages ever since.

"But we've got to try!" said Evan.

"Of course, Your Majesty," nodded Li Li before asking for a spare map. She placed several X's on the southern end of the Drylands. "Try these areas first."

"Thanks, Li Li!" cheered Evan.

* * *

The journey to the Drylands would normally take half a day's flight. But the sudden additional continent between the Summerlands and Autumnia required an investigation first.

"It's so...creepy," stated Tani as the Zippelin hovered at a distance that was hopefully out of the Horned One's reach. Purple black clouds surround the continent. The land around the Horned One was also tainted with darkness. Monsters that came from the Horned One roamed the land with creatures that gravitated to the area, at ease by their natural element.

The facsimiles of the four Kingmakers rested in their respective corners of the shield that surrounded the Horned One. It would be foolish to attack it while it is protected.

There was no sign of Doloran being on the island. But...he had to have been living somewhere in between his 'visits' to a nation's ruler, right?

The Horned One unexpectedly turned and looked up at the Zippelin while Roland absently brought his phone out of his arms band and took a picture of the scene below. He then yelped as he grabbed at his head in a futile attempt to protect it from the sudden immense presence in his mind.

##  **I͟ ̷̷͏̡S͝͠E̵̵E͘͟͠ ̵̢̛͘Y̵̨͘O͠͞U̕͢҉̕.̷͘͝**

"Get out of my head," gasped Roland, causing the others to panic and call for Pilo to quickly maneuver the air ship away from the dark continent.

##  **Y̛̺̣̘͙O̜̖̩̜̦̮̳̣̝̠͎̟̬̹͍͇͠͡U҉̨͟҉̦̞͍͖̱̙̹̭̦͚̖̻ͅ ̶̴̸̨̭̫̪̫̮̻͚̗̞͘C̵̴̤͕͍̳͠A̵͇̤̪̤̝̻̟̥̮̮̻͠ͅN̨͘͠͏͏̣̘̝̻̲̗̤̝̳͚͍̱̟̻̞͕͖̭ͅN͏̴̥̩͍̟̙̯͈̟̦̪̹̭̻̞̪̮̭͘Ǫ̶̧͍̮̟̱̙͓̩̣͉͖̝̳̳̻̪̼̱̕͡T͕̺̜͔̪̘̭̩̟͘͢**

**H͏̡̨͓̞̦̘̞͍͈̝̺I̴͏̵͟҉̼̻͉̞͚̤͉̤̱̦̠D̰̩̙̲͓ͅͅE̶̴̮̱̠̳ ̛͏̠̣͉̫͍̠̹̻͎̠̩̤̩͙̜F̧͍̣͎͇̲̰̰̹̤̫̞̣͙͇͍͘͢R͢҉̮͈͕̩̭̦̗͞** OM ME. WE Are

linked...

The voice and the presence faded away as the Zippelin got out of range. Carefully, Roland uncurled from the ball-like position he contorted himself into as an instinctive attempt to protect himself.

"What happened?" asked Evan once his Chief Consul shakily sat on the floor.

"It spoke to me," Roland shuddered, "it...knew we were there."

"It did?"

"No offense, sir," said Pilo, "but somethin' that big musta saw us comin' miles away."

"...Of course," conceded Leander as he helped Roland up.

"We're gettin' closer to Broadleaf," noted Batu as he looked back at the window.

"Shouldn't we be heading back to Evermore instead?" asked Bracken.

"No," Roland shook his head, "we can't. We have a mission to carry out. I will not be the one who delays saving the world."

"But you don't look so good," Tani pointed out. Indeed the man was a bit sweaty and paler than he was earlier that day.

"I'll be better once I take a rest," Roland insisted.

* * *

Day 332/February 17, 20XX

Evening had fallen by the time the air ship reached Broadleaf. By then everyone reluctantly agreed to keep continuing the mission.

Bracken had left after dinner to check on friends who stayed in the company turned nation. She would return later with the appearance of losing a great weight off her shoulders.

They all decided to stay in the inn, with Roland quickly choosing to stay in an 'industry standard' room this time. He seemed to eye the sleeping tubes with great distrust.

He woke up the next morning to find Lofty sitting cross-legged on his chest. The tiny Kingmaker flailed and fell off the bed when Roland jolted upright in his bed into a more alert state.

"Well, that's just flippin' rude," grumbled Lofty on floor.

"What were you doing?" asked Roland once the shock wore off.

"Makin' sure Ole Horny doesn't flippin' pull a fast one on us," said Lofty, "youer welcome."

* * *

The trip down south to the Drylands was thankfully less eventful. But unfortunately, the search had proven to be disheartening. Two of the locations had revealed nothing.

At the third site, their searching was interrupted by someone behind them saying "What are you doing?" The party turned and found a man dressed in light colored robes designed to keep him cool in the harsh desert. There was armor peeking out of his sleeve. He must be a guard.

"Excuse me," Evan stepped forward, "do you know where we can find seeing sand?"

"You're standing on it." The guard pointed at Evan's feet. Indeed, there was glowing sand beneath him.

"W-what?"

"It only shows itself around mid-day and midnight," the man explained as the group scrambled to scoop it up into a jar, "you just got lucky."

"Thank you," said Evan.

"Don't thank me yet," said the guard, "you look like you need to get out of the sun now." He pointed to Roland, who was regretting his decision to not put on his summer coat before he has set off.

"Come on," sighed the guard, "follow me."

Near the close by oasis was a cave system that contained a village. Several villagers would pause and stare at the group as they walked by.

At last, the guard stopped before a man holding a staff.

"Ahmed," he said, "why did you bring outsiders?"

"Because they were looking for seeing sand at midday, Sage Rashaad," replied Ahmed, "with no regard for protection from heat."

The sage raised an eyebrow at Roland before glancing at Evan, "Why would Dellians be in need for seeing sand?"

"Because the Horned One has returned," blurted out Evan, "and we have found a clue about how to defeat it but the tablet's words are cursed to be unreadable without the sand."

"So...the Usurper has succeeded..." Sage Rashaad mused before asking, "Why didn't you look for it at midnight when its magic is at its strongest?"

"We...didn't know about that?"

"So, this is what Dekkah meant by sharing wisdom," observed Ahmed as the sage face palmed.

"Well...now you know," said the sage, "by the way, are any of your people collapsing into a state of living death?"

"It's happening here too?" said Leander, "the Horned One's reach goes further than we thought..."

"What do you mean by 'the Usurper'?" added Bracken.

"Three hundred years ago," began Rashaad, "a man with a yellow snake headdress came to Al Mamoon. He offered His Moojesty King Mooziah, who had inherited the throne a year before, advice on kingship. Mooziah was grateful and offered the man a room in the palace and appointed him as one of his court advisors. The new advisor charmed everyone he met and his suggestions to His Moojesty would gradually go unopposed.

"Several months later, many laws were suddenly announced to the populous. It is said that these laws, whatever they may be, angered the people. Protests sprouted everywhere. The sages and consuls tried to alert Mooziah of the unrest but he had grown uncaring and lazy. His new 'friend' was more successful. He suggested that a visit to the volcano that held the King's Cradle would give Mooziah insight. Several sages and townspeople went with them and the survivors returned with a horrible tale.

"It is said that when His Moojesty called to the Kingmaker, the Usurper struck him. He reached into Mooziah's heart and broke off a piece of his bond with the Kingmaker, Moorrick. Before he fled, he said that the Horned One would be pleased by the strength of the Kingsbond. Moorrick, already enraged by how the people were being treated, went mad from this betrayal and rampaged in the volcano itself until it erupted. The land quaked in its wrath. The sky rained ash for days. Everyone fled the city as Moorrick turned its sight to Al Mamoon.

"The remaining consuls tried to bring order to the remaining populace but they were more focused on blaming each other for not speaking up to His Moojesty until it was too late. Their arguments almost caused a war among the survivors until each faction split off into the unknown in hopes of having at least part of Al Mamoon survive in the coming years.

"For a long time, each tribe meet each other with hostility. But as generations pass, we've seen several tribes reaching out with words of peace. Al Mamoon may rise again with the memory of betrayal and distrust no longer in control of our hearts," Rashaad concluded wistfully.

"Luckily for ye," Batu broke the stunned silence everyone fell into as they heard the tale, "we are gettin' closer to deckin' the swab and the Horned One."

"May the gods smile upon your quest," said the sage.

* * *

Traveling straight to Evermore was a dangerous task now that the Horned One is aware of the party. Hoping to prevent another psychic attack, the airship passed over Hydropolis on the way to Capstan-Upon-Hull where the ship turned north to Evermore. It was past midnight when the Zippelin returned. The seeing sand will be of no use until the next day at noon and Li Li was undoubtedly asleep.

And so, everyone went to bed, spirits brighter for being one step closer to saving the world.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> tl;dr - Doloran is why Al Mamoon doesn't exist in NNK2.
> 
> Since Roland isn't aware of That Plot Twist, he in turn has no way to protect himself from the Horned One. Lofty is doing his best here, you guys.
> 
> What I really want to do is use REALLY BIG TEXT for the Horned One but I'm a bit iffy with AO3's html tags...so...that was an adventure. Also, what is the name of the Eldritch Horrors font because I'm kinda tempted in using it. :O
> 
> I tried my hand in making up a Kingmaker name but ended up with more moo puns. orz
> 
> See y'all next time.
> 
> Update: Zalgo font added. :D Apparently all is needed is to copy and paste it from the [text generator](http://www.eeemo.net/) and then go to town on the html tags I'm familiar with.


	33. Entry 30 - Echoes of Halcyon

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> In which maybe the party should've just grab the Cup and run for it whoops

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> First off, I just want to say that this fic is not DLC compliant because I can't really fit it into here. But I did find some spoilers and wow, that's sequel bait right there. orz
> 
> Secondly, here is some _intentional_ tl;dr wall of text backstory that I've been wanting to write for weeks. But, uh, at least I no longer have the need to create a multi-chaptered side-story. Yay?
> 
> At this point, I'm not sure where the line between 'reasonable amount of backstory' and 'help there's too much backstory in here' is. Same with headcanon. Like, I initially put down 'Eagalia' as a placeholder name because I was like 'haha, the seals on the presidential escort cars' flags aren't intentionally 100% accurate' and ran with it. Now its pretty much stuck on my take on Roland whoops. (But that's pretty much on the 'reasonable' side of the scale, so...yeah...)
> 
> Anyway, not sure if this requires a trigger warning but might as well give you the heads up: past murder by overpowered fireball

Day 333/February 18, 20XX

The jar of seeing sand was given to Li Li by Leander in the morning with instructions that the sand's magic works best at noon and at midnight.

"I will bring you the tablet in the afternoon," promised Li Li.

"Thank you. I'll go alert the other Ministers," said Leander.

He teleported to the residence wing to save time. The first thing he saw was Roland exiting his room with Lofty in tow, "Must you sit on me as I sleep? You're not exactly light as a feather."

"Rude," replied Lofty.

"It would be nice if I can actually breathe right."

"Good morning," said Leander, catching their attention before their hushed arguing could get louder and rudely wake up everyone sooner.

"Morning," nodded Roland, "Have you delivered the seeing sand?"

"Indeed," confirmed Leander, "We'll have results later today."

"Excellent, then we'll be able to make our next move sooner."

"We will?" said Evan who had just opened his door, "that's great!"

"But until then," lectured Roland, "you have a stack of reports to go over."

"Ugh," frowned Evan.

* * *

Roland would then excuse himself back in to his suite, stating that his hair tie wasn't fastened enough. "Just go on to breakfast without me," he had said.

Twelve minutes later, he had came down to breakfast as pale as ever. No one said it out loud but it was obvious he endured an attack from the Horned One.

Evan just hoped that Li Li would discover good news faster.

* * *

After lunch and most of the reports that had piled up in the past two days were taken care of, the dogfolk sorceress entered the throne room.

"Master Evan! I apologize for the wait," she bowed, "I have deciphered the tablet."

"That is great news," said Evan, his ears perking up in interest.

"I brought it to the meeting room," added Li Li, "The table in there is the most sturdy."

"If the accursed thing don't tell us a thing about the holy sword after all that trouble," grumbled Batu as they all headed to the room, "I'm flingin' it off the balcony."

"Please don't," sighed Leander.

"Boddly will ban us forever if you do that," added Tani.

"Well, let's see what it says first," said Roland.

Evan reached the tablet first and cheered, "Yes!"

"Sounds like it's been spared from testing gravity," joked Bracken as they all quickly gathered around the table.

The tablet, written in an older yet readable form of Common Tongue, now said:

_The great evil having been laid to rest, the sacred sword, its purpose mette, did take a forme of a humble cuppe. Should e'er a king have need of it againe, he must needs visit that seldom-trod land where silence reigneth. There, at the place of the great frozen bowle, he must speak thusly: "Cuppe awake, sworde to make." Once claimed, the cuppe need only be married with the base of a kingmaker's bond, and lo, the sword shall live again._

"Oh thank goodness," smiled Tani, "it is a clue about Mornstar!"

"So the sword became a cup," Leander reread the tablet, "and was hidden away until the time comes for it to be needed again..."

"Then we best find it and turn it back into a sword, quick," decided Batu.

"It says it requires a base of a Kingmaker's bond," Roland pointed out before turning to look at Evan and Lofty, "I suppose it means the item you used to forge the Kingsbond with. In your case, the Royal Twig."

"...A twig," said Leander in disbelief.

"From a distance, I thought it was a wand," added Bracken.

"The most stickiest stick to ever flippin' stick," grumbled Lofty who was now looking forward to a probable new symbol of their link.

"Wiff-Waff gifted it to me," defended Evan as he brought out the Twig. Leander paused in mid-glasses adjustment.

"May I see it?" asked Leander. Noting his sudden interest, Evan handed it over.

The wizard examined the Royal Twig for a moment before saying, "Well, this is fascinating."

"What is it?"

Leander pointed to the runes on the Royal Twig, "This is an old form of the alphabet that was used in the kingdom of Halcyon, which hasn't existed for nearly four hundred years."

"Because Halcyon fell to a rival Kingdom practically overnight," said Evan as he recalled his history lessons, "before Ding Dong Dell could send help. Relations with the winner was...tense for two hundred years after that." _Until Ding Dong Dell avenged their fallen ally_ was left unspoken.

"And all this time, Your Majesty," said Leander while he detected ancient magic within the Royal Twig, "you have been carrying an artifact from that lost kingdom."

"So it _is_ a wand?" asked Bracken.

"Indeed. The magic within it has greatly depleted to the point I doubt casting Rejuvenation will restore it," frowned Leander, "and even if it does, the energy required will be enormous. But it may be enough to fasten the conversion process if we use it to restore the sword."

"So two old things of power become one great thing of power," muttered Lofty.

"Alas, we still need to determine precisely where the cup is hidden," added Leander, "The inscription mentioned a quiet place visited by few and a 'great frozen bowl.'"

"Y'know," said Bracken as she thought it over, "there is a snowfield north of Broadleaf called Jack Frost's Playground. I heard that there is a big crater there called the Caldera. I can't be certain that it could be the frozen bowl we're looking for but it can't hurt to check it out."

"You may be right," nodded Evan.

"Alright!" cheered Tani, "Let's go and have a look!"

* * *

To avoid another encounter with the Horned One, the airship went north before heading west.

"It looks beautiful," said Evan as they flew over the snow fields.

"Aye," agreed Batu, "but it will be freezin' our brains this time of year."

"Good thing we came prepared, huh?" said Bracken as she indicated the thick coats they were all wearing.

"I think this is it," called Pilo as he set the Zippelin to hover around a crater.

"Well, it looks like a frozen bowl alright," noted Evan as he looked down from the window, "take us down."

"Yes, Yer Majesty," the airship lowered close enough for everyone to jump out.

"If this is the right place," said Lofty, "then say the words."

Evan nodded before calling out, "Cup awake, sword to make!"

Immediately there was a magic circle with unfamiliar runes appearing several feet away from the party and a large object materialized into existence within the circle. When the magic's light died down, they could see a temple.

"Flip!" yelped Lofty, "it flippin' worked!"

"Let's head inside!" grinned Evan.

* * *

"Alright," said Bracken once they entered the temple, "the Cup should be around here somewhere. So we need to look around thoroughly."

"Considering how well hidden this shrine was, the Cup might not be easily found," commented Leander as they walked down a hallway.

To their surprise, the group eventually found a group of monsters that immediately attacked them. Upon defeat, the monsters would disintegrate into little balls of light.

"They have been summoned," frowned Leander as he magically reached out to the last of the monsters to feel for a signature, "I believe we're being tested."

"By who?" asked Roland.

"Or what?" added Batu.

"I guess we'll just have to find out," shrugged Bracken.

The party moved on, occasionally fighting a pack of creatures that they have noticed will only appear in hallways that have forked paths. Eventually, they found a room with an altar.

"Is...is this it?" said Tani.

A large red stone golem materialized in response. They all jumped away as it swung a large fist in their direction.

"To arms!" yelled Roland as he summoned his sword.

The resulting battle was not easy. The golem seemed impervious to water and ice spells and there was so much Bracken's healing drones and the Higgledies could do to keep up. Somehow, it turned out that it was greatly harmed by fire and once that was discovered, it went down quickly.

Eventually the golem collapsed and the summon spell that brought it here dissipated.

A floating cup immediately appeared on the altar and so did a ghost. It waited until Evan finished casting Spirit Medium to speak.

A young red-haired man clapped, " _Well done. You have passed my tests._ "

"Who are you?" asked Evan.

" _I am Olghar_ ," was the ghost's reply, " _I have been protecting the Cup ever since I died._ "

"Sorry for asking but when did you die?" said Tani.

Olghar shrugged, " _I can't really tell how long ago since this shrine has been hidden away from the world until someone has need of it. You are the first group of people I've seen in a long time._ "

"Did you ever use the Cup?" asked Bracken.

" _I did when I was younger. Long ago, a powerful dragon rampaged across the land. Many nations fell to its wrath and my people feared that we would be next. My mother, the queen, was a powerful sage and she went out to fight him. She returned badly burnt and died a few hours later apologizing for her failure. That was when I had enough and decided to take matters into my own hands._

" _I listened to rumors and tales of witnesses who fled from the dragon. They say Shadar,_ " the ghost raised an eyebrow as Lofty spluttered out a rant in his odd language, " _had an aura of purple smoke that would herald his arrival._ "

"He was tainted by the Horned One?" gasped Tani.

" _Tainted? He_ reveled _in it_ ," hissed Olghar. " _He is of the few who can truly be called its enforcers. Nevertheless, I was called suicidal and foolish for making his defeat my quest. But I did find others willing to assist me. The beastmaster Esther. The Sage Emperor of Hamelin Marcassin. His war haunted brother Gascon. And a fairy from another world who was looking for the Pure-Hearted One destined to save her world. She never found them here but she stayed long enough to see Gascon at last settle down._

" _We traveled around the world looking for clues of any way to defeat Shadar. At first it seemed he had no weaknesses but we didn't give up. Eventually we came across a village south of Ding Dong Dell. Hidden within it was a library that held many secrets. It was there when we found a tablet describing this very cup_ ," Olghar indicated the floating challis.

"You didn't need seeing sand?" asked Roland, surprised.

" _Seeing sand?_ " blinked the ghost, _"it didn't require any_."

"So Doloran must've cursed the tablet afterwards," Evan thought out loud.

" _Ah, so he lives on in your era,_ " sighed Olghar, " _We have seen what Doloran had done to the kingdom of Folsense. It's destruction took the island it stood on with it. But fortunately for us, he retreated and we tracked down the cup to this very shrine unimpeded and reforged it into a wand._ "

"You can do that?" said Evan, "I thought it would just turn into a sword."

" _I had thought so too. It turns out the cup's form changes to suit the user it is made for. In my case, it became a wand. With Mornstar reformed, we found that Shadar had heard of our plans and was granted a barrier that used four towers as corner stones._ "

"That's what is happening right now," Bracken realized while Evan's blonde hair and his tail fluffed up in shock, "how did you take the barrier down?"

" _By attacking all four towers at once_ ," replied Olghar, " _the moment the dragon was vulnerable, I called upon Mornstar's power to give me strength. Light gathered within the wand and once released, it greatly injured the dragon to the point of death. Shadar called upon to the Horned One for help but the great evil refused to answer. Once he realized that his lord had abandoned him, Shadar breathed for the last time._

" _I returned to Halcyon victorious. My kingdom celebrated its king's safe return, as did my friends' lands. The rest of the world celebrated the dragon's end because as it turned out, there was places where nothing was able to grow once the fiend dug its poisonous claws into the earth. His curse had died with him._ "

"Your deed has been celebrated ever since," said Evan, "Especially in Ding Dong Dell."

" _I am pleased to hear that Halcyon's neighbor is still standing long after my time_ ," smiled the ghost.

"I have a question," started Leander, "how did you revert Mornstar back to its original state?"

" _In the fortieth year of my reign, the world was at peace. The mad man known as Doloran hasn't been seen since his 'visit' to Folsense. The Horned One hadn't made any moves to avenge his most feared servant's death. The last war was ten years ago with Al Mamoon as the victor. I came to the conclusion that it was safe to return Mornstar to this shrine so that someday someone else could be of need of it. It was foolish to assume that the wand would not someday be destroyed as a condition of my nation's surrender. And if that happened and an evil greater than Shadar came to being, then how it be stopped?_

" _My Kingmaker, Medea, agreed with me. My advisors did not. They were worried how my son will inherit the kingdom and Medea if he didn't have Mornstar as a symbol of his Kingsbond," he smiled wryly, "its almost like they forgot my son spent several years as a blacksmith's apprentice. He could make one and he had. The council fumed but they didn't stop me from abdicating the throne. In consequence of stepping down, this dissolved my Kingsbond with Medea and in turn caused the wand to grow cracks for days afterward._

" _My son was crowned king two days after and once the festivities came to an end, I fled to this temple alone. I set Mornstar onto this altar and watched as it reformed into the cup once more. My task complete, I was about to leave this room when I heard a disembodied laugh._

" _'Whose there?' I had asked. I was fortunate to bring a couple of wands with me just in case but I didn't expect a need to defend myself so soon._

" _Runes depicting the Gateway spell appeared and an old decrepit man in dark robes materialized in front of me. He was hooded and his long red hair hid his face. He was holding himself up with a cane. 'Who are you?' I asked. The old man merely chuckled._

" _'I have several names,' he replied, 'but one of them will greatly interest you.'_

 _"'My name is Shadar, The Dark Djinn,'_ " at this, the ghost's audience gasped.

"No flippin' way," squeaked Lofty.

"The swab came back to life?" yelped Batu.

"Was it the Horned One's doing?" asked Roland.

Leander blinked, "Gateway is a spell that can lead to other worlds. Why did a different Shadar come here?"

" _Ah, you caught it quickly,_ " said Olghar.

" _'You can't be him, Shadar is dead,' I said in disbelief. This only caused the old man to laugh again._

" _'You have studied extensively in magic, did you not?' he had scolded, 'Surely you recognized the runes for Gateway. A spell that allows the user to traverse to other worlds.' I didn't answer, not wanting to confirm my embarrassment._

" _'Why are you here?' I eventually asked._

" _'Somewhere among the worlds is the Pure-Hearted One. The one destined to save the world. I wish to seek them out.'_

" _'The Pure-Hearted One isn't here,' I said._

" _'I know,' confirmed the other worlder, 'But there is another threat I must take care of.' He lowered his hood and to my horror, I was looking at an aged face that I have seen before for it is my own but more older. More...monstrous.  
_

" _'Who are you?' I asked again and my double smiled as he shuffled closer to me._

" _'I am you and yet not you. We share the same soul but have lived through different experiences. We are soul mates,' his smile became mocking, 'and you shouldn't have broken your link to your Kingmaker so soon. You would have had a better chance to survive.' He attempted to stab me with a knife he kept hidden in his sleeve but I quickly got out of the way only to be hit on the head with his cane. He wasted no time and cast a spell that summoned blackened spears that made contact with my legs._

" _'Stop this at once!' I cried out despite the pain, 'if you kill me, you'll die too!'_

" _Shadar shook his head with a grin while a ball of fire grew larger in his hand, 'I solved that issue centuries ago. How else would I be able to bring forth despair unimpeded by a petty thing such as death? Unfortunately for you, Dragon Slayer, death still calls to you.' He tossed the fire ball and it consumed me._

" _I woke up and found myself alone. Shadar was gone. I looked back at the altar and the cup was untouched. I looked down and in a pile of ash was my arms band. Confused, I tried to pick it up only to watch my hand pass through it. That's when I realized that I had died but I couldn't pass on._

" _I vowed to protect the cup the best I can in my state so that someday, if the Horned One or one of its servants rose to power, a new champion could retrieve it._ "

"It must've been lonely all these years," said Evan.

" _It is,_ " agreed the ghost, " _but it was worth it._ " He glanced down at Lofty, " _Tell me, fairy, did Minty ever find the Pure-Hearted One?_ "

"The Pure-Hearted One was found," confirmed Lofty, "and he defeated Shadar and his mistress, the White Witch. You have been avenged, mun."

" _I am glad,_ " Olghar said, relieved, " _that her search wasn't in vain._ "

He pointed to the Cup, which had been patiently floating above everyone this whole time, " _Who is to wield its power?_ "

"I am," Evan stepped forward and watched as the Cup lowered itself to his height. His companions looked over his shoulders to view the Cup.

"Shame we need to melt it down. It would've been a fine way to drink mead," commented Batu.

"Dad!" yelled Tani in horror.

Olghar laughed, " _Gascon had said the same thing. In hindsight, it sure looks tempting, doesn't it?_ "

"Please don't," sighed Leander as Batu guffawed.

Evan frowned as he noticed something inside the Cup and pulled it out. "Is this your arms band?"

" _Indeed. I have no more use of it considering I am dead,_ " the ghost began to fade, his purpose fulfilled, " _Bury it. Pass it on to your future heir. It and the contents inside are at your mercy. Farewell, brave king, and good luck on your quest._ "

Olghar's form at last faded from existence as he passed on.

* * *

The ride back to Evermore was quiet as everyone processed Olghar's tale. Leander had taken a picture of the Cup and posted it on Leafbook. It's most likely the last time anyone would see Mornstar in that form he had reasoned.

At last, Lofty sighed, "I gotta flippin' confess somethin'. I'm from another world as well. The same one as the Dark Djinn."

"Why did ye come here if yer Shadar bit the dust?" asked Batu.

"This world was one of Minty's last known locations before she flippin' disappeared a few centuries ago. None of us are sure what happened to her but there are a few guesses. Maybe she settled down somewhere. Maybe she flippin' kicked the bucket." Lofty shrugged. "I wasn't plannin' to stick around in this place for long but...once I saw how bad things were gettin', I decided to stay and help out. And thus I offered myself to youer world's gods for Kingmakership."

"What was that like?" questioned Bracken.

"My memory on the process got...fuzzy," Lofty frowned as he tried to recall, "I can't flippin' tell you all the details but one moment the ritual began and the next moment I heard Evan's voice as he declared his intentions of goin' through the trials. Took a flippin' while to get a few of my abilities back."

"Were you always able to turn into a dragon?" said Evan.

"Nah, mun, that one's a perk of the bond. Mighty useful, though, ain't it?"

"If we defeat the Horned One and Doloran," Evan suddenly felt the need to ask, "what will you do after that?"

"I'm stayin' until I somehow stop bein' a Kingmaker. To become one, I had to give up my ability to traverse the worlds," Lofty revealed, "I can't go home and check in with my buddies. But, uh, if any of you ever figure out how to get Gateway workin' on your end again and Evan here decides to go tourist, I am probably allowed to follow. And just to let you know, I'm ain't ditchin' you after all we've been flippin' through!"

"Thanks," smiled Evan.

"Youer welcome."

"Hey wait," said Tani suddenly, "weren't you going to ask that guy about the words on the wand?"

"Oh flip! We flippin' forgot!"

* * *

Day 334/February 19, 20XX

The airship once again returned to Evermore long after the sun had set. It was then announced the next mid-morning that Bracken and Leander were looking for experienced blacksmiths and mages for an important project. The outfitters went to work on forging new armor unprompted.

War was coming.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Olghar is apparently the Gaelic version of 'Oliver.' Then again, there's allegedly a load of Irish names that mean 'dark' according to one baby name site so I'm going to take this with a grain of salt. I had considered Lucio or Lucien but it seemed too obvious as to who this guy is. Orli/Orly (which means 'the light is mine') was considered until further research showed that it's generally a girl's name.
> 
> Folsense is the main setting in Professor Layton and the Diabolical Box. Halcyon is, meanwhile, I'm 60% sure where NNK1!Shadar is originally from according to his post-boss fight backstory. Part of my plan was to use places found in Level-5 games as past kingdoms but then I realized the only Level-5 games I'm familiar with is Professor Layton, Ni No Kuni, and Dragon Quest 8. orz
> 
> Shadar mentioned in the pre-boss fight sequence that Oliver was reborn many times and that Shadar found some way to not die every time his soul mate dies. I can also see him occasionally going through the worlds to take out the more powerful incarnations before they become aware of him. Olghar is one of the unlucky few. D:
> 
> And yes, he totally cursed the tablet to prevent anyone in this world to use their version of Mornstar against him.
> 
> Abdicating equals getting yourself nerfed is pretty much speculation on my part because nobody does that in-game, so we really don't know what happens when you break a Kingsbond that way.
> 
> I also meant to have Evan show the Royal Twig to Olghar but at that point I was getting tired of chipping away the writer's block and just wanted him to just go already. orz Minty is supposed to be the fairy mentioned in the fairy tale told in the Kingmaker Trials because like if Mr. Drippy was present in this world and saw this incarnation of Oliver defeat a Shadar, then why didn't he try to recruit him into defeating his world's Shadar? And thus a throwaway OC was born.
> 
> Lofty does tell you in some random throne room dialogue laaaaate game/post-game that he is a fairy from another world. Him not being able to return to his world ever again is something I threw on him because of the way Kingmakers are made in canon and to nerf him a bit so he doesn't become my go-to deus ex machina.
> 
> Next chapter is going to be shorter and give everyone a chance to breathe before invading Nazcaa. So no giant capslock of text... _yet._


	34. Entry 31 - Anniversaries

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> So while figuring out what to write for this chapter, I realized that the anniversary of King Leonhard's death was approaching so...yeah. Filler.
> 
> (Come to think of it, I never did cover Evan's birthday. orz Um, let's just say it's during that month I skipped while everybody was building the level 1 version of Evermore. Which makes his birthday sometime in May I guess? :O )

[FROM THE DIARY OF ROLAND CRANE]

_My dreams as of late have become nightmares. Sometimes its my family dying before I can reach them. Sometimes its Sean and Evan pleading for help. Sometimes its Evermore instead of Yorkton being hit by the nuclear bombs and I'm wandering in the ruins afterwards._

_Occasionally, I hear a woman crying and only once do I believe I caught a glimpse of her. Just who is she?_

_The only common element of these dreams is the Horned One's voice. It's very insistent on me joining its side. I can't help but wonder: What does the Horned One truly want from me? Why is it just me who hears its voice?_

* * *

Day 337/February 21, 20XX

The atmosphere of Evermore became gloomy as black banners unfurled around the castle. At first, everyone panicked. Did the King suddenly die?

The citizens' fear were soothed when King Evan appeared in the main square, dressed in darker clothing.

"Today," he announced solemnly, "Evermore joins Ding Dong Dell in mourning. For this day marks the anniversary of King Leonhard Tildrum's passing."

Chatter rose among the crowd. Some expressed relief that Evan has been unharmed. Some of the more uninformed were confused and quietly asked the nearest person for clarification. Meanwhile, there was a mixed reaction from the Dellian portion of Evermore. Humanfolk and grimalkin nodded solemnly while some of the mice cringed before making themselves scarce for the rest of the day.

* * *

"Ye mean ye didn't know it was today?" Batu asked as he and Roland walked to the throne room.

"I had arrived a month after that," Roland said quietly to prevent gossips from overhearing, "I didn't ask exactly when King Leonhard died. I was more interested in getting myself and Evan out of the castle alive."

He paused and slowly blinked, "Wow, its almost been a year for me. Time sure flies, huh?"

"Aye," nodded Batu.

"It'll be that day soon..." Roland trailed off as he stared unfocused at a nearby window.

"Aye," said Batu again, "The coup..."

Roland made a small noise in response. Batu then remembered what happened before Roland found himself in this world. "Shit."

"Roland. Focus, lad," he quickly waved a hand in front of him, "listen to my voice. Where are ye?"

"I..." the light in Roland's eyes flickered as he registered a familiar voice among memories of the smell of various things burning and the whistling sound of fast moving missiles.

"Where are ye, lad?" Batu asked again.

"Evermore," Roland refocused.

"Who am I?"

"You're Batu, Chief of the Sky Pirates, Minister of War." Roland sighed and pinched the space between his eyebrows, "I had hoped that a year was enough time to not affect me as badly."

Batu shook his head, "A year is still fresh for many, lad. But...Roland, what ye endured...that's a right mess I can't even imagine experiencing."

Roland let out a small chuckle, "'A right mess,' huh? Biggest understatement I have ever heard."

* * *

"I wish to visit my father," Evan had announced, still in his dark outfit when the two men reached the throne room.

"No one's stoppin' ye," said Batu.

"According to reports, Mornstar is still in the process of being forged," stated Roland, "a lot more magic has been required in the process than Leander and Bracken had anticipated. A few hours away from the kingdom wont slow anyone down."

* * *

The tomb's interior hadn't changed in the past month, Evan had found. His father's coffin and chest containing a few favored items were still positioned in the center of the room. Evan once again wondered if it was his duty as Leonhard's heir and... _intended_ successor to move him into the lot his father was supposed to share with Evan's mother, Queen Abigail.

Evan approached the coffin and wondered what would be the right words to say. 'Sorry for not visiting often.'? 'Hello father, it's been a year.' when he last saw his spirit a little bit over a fortnight ago?

He settled on standing in front of the coffin in silence as he attempted to figure out how to even move it. Surely this is one of those things he would've eventually learned if he remained king of Ding Dong Dell. Does Mausinger know?

His ears picked up the sound of distant footsteps. It may be Roland, he figured. Perhaps he got a message that Mornstar is at a stage that requires Evan's presence. If not...his arms band glimmered as he waited for the intruder to show himself.

The source revealed itself to be Mausinger, who was equally surprised to encounter another living soul in the tomb. His robes were also of mourning black.

"How did you get in here?" Evan asked once the shock wore off. He could've sworn the tomb doors closed behind him...

Mausinger solemnly held up a Mark of Kings, colored in red, "This was found in Vermine's quarters along with a few more items of interest. It appears he has been...acquiring relics for the past few years."

Well, that explains the mystery behind several disappearances of artifacts Evan had overheard his father and several ministers discuss about when Evan reached his eighth autumn. A couple of his father's advisors wanted to pin the blame on Mausinger but were rebuffed by Leonhard and the more progressive ministers.

Mausinger tucked away the Mark, "It's sort of amusing. I told Mr. Crane that the Mark I was looking for was red to catch him in a lie. He told me you had it around your neck..."

Evan blinked. He had been in many Leafbook pictures that in hindsight would've made any spy network's job easier. Either Roland hadn't taken account of that or he wasn't even trying to hide his intentions during his temporary stay in Ding Dong Dell. Evan suddenly felt insulted on Mausinger's behalf.

Mausinger approached the coffin and knelt before it, head bowed. Awkwardly, Evan followed his example.

They stayed that way for several minutes. Evan wasn't sure what Mausinger was doing but Evan had found himself reminiscing of the days when his father had made time for him.

He got startled again by a sudden noise when he realized it was sniffling and it was coming from his right.

The King of Ding Dong Dell was crying.

That was when Evan felt movement on his own face and his hand reached up to brush it away and discovered that it was his own tears.

An hour had past when both kings ran through their grief and felt the protest in their legs. Evan straightened up first, having less weight to strain on his knees. Mausinger, with much dignity he could muster, followed.

At last Evan said, "I don't suppose you know how to move him."

"What for?" asked Mausinger, confused.

"He shares a plot with my mother. I thought it was my duty to lay him into his final rest...or is it yours now?" Evan once again wished he had asked during the month he was unofficially king.

"Protocol states he rests in state for another year," said Mausinger, "One for each successor who was crowned so soon after the other. I hadn't known until six months ago when I asked a few ministers still willing to side with me. I...did banish a few when I became king. Miss Aranella and a few others had caught them plotting to turn you into a puppet king who reverses all progress your father had made by the time you're twenty. I'm not really sure what happened to them after that. I doubt even Vermine knows."

Evan shuddered as he recalled what resides in the fields outside of Ding Dong Dell.

"And speaking of Miss Aranella," Mausinger added, "she did get a burial. Some of my guards secretly buried her in the courtyard she favored. They apparently did it under the cover of night during one of the few times Vermine wasn't in the kingdom doing who knows what. I wonder how many others saw his treachery before I did..."

"I'm glad she was put to proper rest," Evan said numbly.

"You have my permission to visit her," Mausinger offered, "I know full well how she meant to you, Evan."

"Thank you."

* * *

Evan and Mausinger teleported directly into Ding Dong Dell Castle afterwards. Evan could see from the windows that black flags were raised in the town itself. Even on the shops ran by mice.

Evan knew where to go. Nella would take him to that courtyard if she wanted to teach him in peace.

He looked around for her. Her grave would be hidden from the new regime. Vermine never did like her and a few others for some reason.

Evan spotted a corner of a stone and moved closer to investigate. He carefully brushed a low hanging tree branch aside. There!

"Hello, Nella," he sat down in front of the grave stone, "I'm sorry for not visiting sooner. It's a long story..."

He told her what happened in the past eleven months. The adventures. The places he had visited. The people he met.

"The Horned One has returned to this world," he concluded, "but we found a way to possibly defeat it, Nella. For the sake of the world, the Horned One will fall to Mornstar. I promise..."

He brushed a hand against his cheeks and found it wet again. He was surprised he had enough tears left for her after the cry in front of his father.

"I'll try to visit again, soon," Evan promised.

"Good-bye...mother."

As he went to say good-bye to Mausinger, he felt a presence leave.

* * *

Day 339/February 23, 20XX

"Your Majesty," announced a messenger, "Mornstar is finished and is on its way to you right now."

"Thank you," nodded Evan.

Ministers, nobility, and generals all seemed to instantly know what the protocol for such things. They all stood on each side of the rug leading to the throne as Bracken at last entered, carefully holding a red cushion. To her embarrassment, each person bowed as she passed by them.

"King Evan," she said solemnly as she knelt down before the throne, "I bring you Mornstar."

Carefully, Evan picked up the sword from the cushion and to his great surprise found it responding to him. He heard a squeak from Lofty as he too felt it. Their Kingsbond had become stronger.

Evan raised the sword for all to see, "Mornstar...the Sword of Unity..."

He smiled as he felt a surge of hope and determination, "We can finally face the Horned One."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This felt like a good place to stop. *shrugs*
> 
> I'm not sure how long it takes to forge a magical plot device sword but I guess it takes a while. So there had to be something else happening. So I'm gonna punch Evan in the feels.
> 
> Evan's mother doesn't have a name (or at least I didn't come across it yet) so Abigail it is.
> 
> Vermine is pretty much the Designated Evil Jerkass Guy so it wouldn't surprise me if he did hoard some Dellian treasure for him to flaunt around when he becomes king. Extra Marks of Kings was a way for me to justify Mausinger's presence in the Tomb of the Cat Kings after he tells Evan to hold on the Mark because I'm guessing that once the Mark is out of the area and time has passed, stuff that responds to the Mark reseal themselves. And partially because Mausinger's section in the DLC quest chain gave me a couple of ideas.
> 
> Speaking of DLC, I have yet to beat it because I'm busy level grinding so I can somehow last longer than 10 seconds against Mausinger. That might take awhile...
> 
> And what the heck, it's almost been a year in here. What is this, a Persona game? lol


	35. Entry 32 - Adorable Kitten Threatened By Giant Scary Monster Instills International Cooperation

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> To be honest, I'm not sure how Mornstar's reemergence will affect future Feast of Mornstar celebrations. *shrugs*

Day 341/February 25, 20XX

"Just a little longer now," intoned Doloran as he examined his own Kingsbond. It's been becoming stronger by the day. He can hear the Horned One's voice become louder (but it still didn't sound like _her_ ). Mostly it was frustrated that its attempts to bring Roland on their side has been fruitless so far. But it was patient. Sooner or later, Roland will see sense.

"Just a little more. And then you'll return to me..."

His dear Alisandra...

* * *

Leander, before the creation of the sword began, had alerted the four other rulers of what is to come. It was, in a way, a test for the Declaration of Interdependence. All of the nations under the treaty, even Evermore, were in danger of the Horned One's wrath.

There had been posts on Leafbook from weapon and armor makers around the world commenting on sudden bulk orders. All were worried that they wont be finished in time. Broadleaf engineers meanwhile were talking about training AIs.

"What does that mean?" asked Tani as she reread the post.

"Broadleaf has an army of robots," Bracken replied, "we don't attract warriors very often so we found it easier to build an army."

"Less mess, I reckon," commented Batu.

"That too."

Today, the all five rulers gathered in the throne room to discuss how to take on the Horned One once they have gotten word that Mornstar's transfiguration was complete.

"According to reconnaissance, the island the Horned One resides is teeming with darkness-aligned monsters and the Horned One's...servants," Roland grimaced as he revealed what to expect on the lost continent, "they'll overwhelm an army quickly even with preparation.

"The Horned One is also protected by a barrier with four towers where lookalikes of your Kingmakers stand guard. We can not harm the Horned One unless the barrier is destroyed."

"Are you saying that we're reenacting a fairy tale?" said Master Pugnacious, incredulous.

"Or are we repeating history?" rebutted Nerea.

"Neat," commented Zip.

"You've tracked down Mornstar, I take it?" Mausinger asked Evan.

"I did," confirmed the child king, calling the sword from his arms band, "the legacy of King Olghar, slayer of Shadar, lives on."

Mornstar indeed looked what a legendary sword should look like. It's long blade gleamed with a glow that made it look like it was mined with platinum. The sword's guard was then styled to resemble a cat's head with four green jewels placed in the middle that resembled a paw print and the lower end of the guard giving the appearance of whiskers. The grip was a fine red leather that lead to the pommel which capped off the hilt with a green orb.

Despite its apparent weight, Evan had no problem carrying it. Months of constant need to protect yourself from monsters, out of control Kingmakers, and bandits provided the preteen king endurance and strength.

"According to legend, Mornstar hasn't been seen in eight hundred years," said Nerea solemnly.

"I thought it was a wand," said Zip.

"Oh no, not this flippin' conversation again," grumbled Lofty before saying loudly, "its form changes to suit the user it is linked to!"

"Lady Luck has smiled upon us," said Pugnacious, "Her will has provided us the means of victory, no matter what form it takes."

"Which is why we must take action now," argued Mausinger, "before it's too late."

* * *

Day 342/February 26, 20XX

In the end, it was decided that the four towers must be taken down at the same time. Each of the four older rulers decided to face the tower that contained their respective Kingmaker. Each knew of their Kingmaker's strengths and weaknesses and they all secretly hoped that it would release the missing fragment of their Kingsbond. They were all fortunate that their Kingmakers hadn't returned to enact judgement once more.

Once the barrier goes down, Evan will able to attack the Horned One. Even though Mornstar can greatly damage the Kingmaker, he was just one person. It made more sense if all remaining troops attacked it from all sides.

...Unfortunately, the troops themselves didn't seem to agree with the plan.

"Cooperate with foreigners?" someone said with a Hydropolitan accent, "Seriously?"

"Training with Grimalkin was hard enough..." muttered a Dellian mouse.

"I CAN'T BELIEVE WE HAVE TO FIGHT ALONGSIDE WITH ILLOGICAL FLESHIES," complained a Broadleaf soldier bot.

"There's more of us than you, tin can," a Goldpaw warrior shouted back.

"...So much for international cooperation," sighed an observing sky pirate.

"Do you think they'll listen to one of our generals?" Tani asked Batu.

"I'm not really sure, girlie," Batu frowned.

"Evan, help me out here," said Roland quietly as Evan stepped forward, exasperated.

"All of you quiet down," yelled Gao Jia, startling the Goldpaw troops who remembered training under him before he retired.

"King Evan is about to speak!" added Grimm.

"Everyone, listen!" Evan started, "If the five nations cannot promise to work together, we have already lost! Right now, the Horned One continues to steal your neighbors' souls and make them do its bidding! If we don't cooperate, then they'll never be free!"

The various soldiers muttered among themselves.

"My brother has yet to wake up..."

"My wife is pregnant, what will happen to the baby if the Horned One captures her?"

"We already lost several engineers..."

"Your kings have made a promise," Evan continued, "to guide the nation and its people to greatness. To protect it from danger. We all want to fulfill that promise but how can we if you refuse to do so?

"It is promises that make everyone strong. I wouldn't be here now as King of Evermore if I hadn't promised someone dear to me before they passed on to keep going despite what I had lost that day." All the mice present collectively winced.

"I...I suppose that promise saved me. Chances are, I could've tried the avenge them and fail. I could've attempted to survive out in the wilderness," he shrugged.

"Instead, I built a kingdom like I have sworn to do and by doing so, I met so many wonderful people. People who stood by me. People who I fought alongside. People who have sworn fealty to me. I can not let them down. Not ever.

"I wish to fulfill my vow to create a world where peace is achievable. One where we can live our lives happily ever after! If we promise to work together, then we can do this! If we stand united, we can bring that forth that future! Even if we're down to the very last...That's why we are here!

"So please," Evan's eyes shined with determination, "Make this promise...for the sake of our world!"

Moved by his speech, all five armies cheered.

"Looks like our boy has won the troops around," said Roland in a proud tone.

"Aye," agreed Batu, equally proud to see what Evan has become.

"Yeah," smiled Tani, "amazing, isn't it?"

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I realized I forgot to describe the sword last chapter so I went and spent a few hours trying to figure out how tall it is compared to Evan, who is like 11 in this story. Research shows that the average height for an 11 year old boy is 56.5 inches (which is 4 foot 7 inches) / 143.5 cm. Since Evan is like barely stepping into puberty, 4 foot 7 sounds reasonable. Maybe.
> 
> And um, yeah, everybody who isn't Batu by now should be reasonably muscular. Except for Leander the resident squishy wizard who I can see doing like...five push ups max if challenged to a contest. Somebody please introduce him to a gym so he can at least punch something in the face if he ever gets nixed. :O
> 
> At last Master Pugnacious has made an appearance. Goldpaw in hindsight has been completely skipped over because I was focused on creating moments in between the game's story arcs. But then other nations gradually got more 'air time' so to speak to the point it kinda looks awkward. orz
> 
> I was gonna skip the speech scene but then there would be a 800ish word long chapter and I didn't really feel satisfied with that.
> 
> Next chapter: C̡͘͟͠A̴͘P̢͜͠͝͠S̶͜Ļ͜͠Ó̡͘͞C͡͏͏͜K̸̸̨͢


	36. Entry 33 - The Great Battle

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This chapter contains a lot of capslock and ̶͡Za̛̕l̴͘g̷̵̴o҉͘ font.
> 
> Also: This is a battlefield chapter. I sure hope you guys weren't attached to some OCs like I have been. D:

Day 342/February 26, 20XX

"There it is," announced Evan as he viewed the Horned One from the relative safety of the Zippelin. Did it get larger since they last saw it...?

"Flip," yelped Lofty, "It's enormous! Hope it doesn't yank my soul..."

Evan looked down at him with a confused and incredulous expression, "But...you're a Kingmaker. You can't get your soul stolen and neither can the rest of us. Isn't that the point of you here?"

"Ah, right, sorry," laughed Lofty, "I forgot..."

They both heard a groan and turned to see Roland leaning against the wall. His skin was paler than ever and his bangs clung to his forehead from sweat. Being in proximity with the Horned One was obviously not good for his health but he insisted on going.

"Are you going to be okay?" asked Evan, concerned.

"I..." Roland grimaced, "I hope so. The Horned One thinks I'm here to join forces with it. It's...loudly ecstatic."

"I just got an idea," said Tani, "if it can talk to you, can you talk to it?"

"...I could try," shuddered Roland.

"Ask it where that swab Doloran is," suggested Batu. He looked at the other man with concern, "ye don't have to, of course."

"I might as well," said Roland, resigned, "I want to know where he is too."

He closed his eyes and concentrated on where the Horned One's voice was coming from. The source seems to be in a...corner of his mind. When did this happen?

 _Hello?_ he cautiously 'called' out.

Instantly, a looming _presence_ emerged and with the force of an avalanche, its voice rang out louder than a jet plane:

** HE̢̡͏L̷L̨O ̸̛̛R̸̡͘ǪĻA̕͝N̢D̵͘.̴̨ ͏̨͡AT̷̡ ͞L̸AST͡͞ ͏͝҉Y͜O͟U͝ ̸̢HAV̴̛͏E̴҉ ̕҉D͜E̵C̶̡ID̶͢E͞D͠ ͝͠͝TO ̢͘͞SPĘ͞A̡͢K̨ ̴̕͝T̸͜O ̵͠M͘͡E. **

Immediately, Roland regretted this decision. Everything felt as though the Horned One was filling up the space and Roland was nothing but a mere speck that could be swallowed up in a mere instant.

But he had to keep going. He had to know.

_Just wondering, where's Doloran?_

** HE'͞S̴ I̛N̸̵ ͞A̵LLE̛̕G̴̡̧Ơ̧RI҉͡Ą͠ W͏̧̨H̢͝͠I̧͘C̢̕͝H҉͠ ͘҉͞I͜ ̢͏H͡A͝V̛E̶͡ ̨̕K͏̸͜E̸P͡T͏ ̛͜͞S͠͠A̴̷F̶͘E ͠F͠͡O͘R ̷҉A͠LL̨ ͟͢T̢͟H̛͘E̡͢͡S̷̨̕E͞ ͘Y̨͏͡E̵̴A̕R̡͞S͢. ̨I H̛AV̢͏E͡ ̷̢HID̢͠D̢͘̕E͠N̕͝͠ T̨̡H͘EM͜͞ ̸W̵IT̕҉Ḩ̵IŅ̵͏ ̵M͟͡Y͟ S̸̨͝H̸͞E̵LL̷͜. **

_Your...shell?_ Roland mentally blinked. Doloran and the lost nation are _inside_ it?

** Y͘͢E҉̧̛S̨.̷ M̕Y̷̛ ̨̢TR͏͞U̸̴E͢ ͘F͝OR͢͜M͜͟ ̷͞I̡͝S̵Ņ̧̕'̵̴͜T̶̶̡ ̧R͜͞E̵A̸͜D̴̷Y̢̢ ̴̧̡Y͘͟E̛T̸̨͝. **

_When will it be ready?_

**̶̕͡SO̕O͟N̸.**

Roland was pulled away by someone grabbing him and shouting. He opened his eyes and found himself on the floor. His colleagues were circled around him and all sighed in relief.

Every part of his body seemed to _throb_.

Batu handed him a vial of concentrated soreaway and said with a voice full of regret, "Drink this and never do that again."

Roland shakily grabbed the vial and drank it. Instantly, he felt better.

"What-" his voice sounded hoarse and his throat felt scratchy until the soreaway fixed it. As if he was just screaming.

"You collapsed and started to seize," said Tani quietly, "You came close to breaking bones."

"You were covered in a dark aura while this happened," reported Leander.

"I had to bring you back, mun," added Lofty, "before it could overtake you. You may flippin' have a pure heart but that protection has limits."

"Did..." Evan looked at him guiltily even though he didn't ask Roland to talk with the Horned One, "did it tell you anything?"

"...Yeah," replied Roland as he found the strength to bring himself into a sitting position, "What we're seeing down there is sort of like a cocoon. It's real self isn't quite awake yet."

"W-what?" said Evan.

"Doloran and Allegoria are inside the shell too," added Roland, "So we need to find a way to get inside and stop him and the real Horned One."

"How do we get in there?" pondered Bracken, "It's not like it will let us in if Roland asks it nicely. Especially once it sees five armies accompanying him."

"I could transform and carry you all in," offered Lofty.

Bracken nodded, "Yeah, that works."

Roland gripped at the cloth of his long coat as he took a steadying breath.

If they succeed, he'll be free from the Horned One's interest in him. He'll never have to experience this agony again.

* * *

**W̕͟H̷A̷T̸ ̢͠͠A͢͠R̶̡͠E̕͢͢ ̴̧͞Y̛O̵̕͝U̸̢҉ ͏D̷̸͠OI̸͜NG?̡͘͝**

Roland gritted his teeth as he swung his sword and landed a killing blow against a skeleplasm. The Horned One at first had seemed unbothered by the swarm of soldiers on the new continent. But once it saw Roland participating in the battle, it sounded...confused.

"What do you think I'm doing?" muttered Roland under his breath as a wraith born from a soul twisted into the Horned One's service swooped down at him. He grabbed his gun and cast a charged up Heavy Ammo against it. He watched as it faded away. He wondered whoever that wraith used to be was freed and returned to their body...or if they died instead.

He...he'd rather not think about it.

He pressed on, helping to create a path to the Horned One for Evan. His Majesty is...somewhere. Roland had lost track of Evan moments ago. Or, at least, he thought it was moments ago. There was no way to tell if time was passing. The clouds surrounding the small continent were an unnatural purple color. It gave the effect that there was a dark haze everywhere and perhaps there was. Who knows what will happen if everyone present stayed in the area too long.

A large creature approached the Chief Consul and demanded, _Our Master wishes to know what you're doing._

He blinked. They can talk?

"I'm on my way to the barrier," he replied, "By the way, who were you?"

 _That doesn't matter anymore_ , said the creature before turning away from him. It suddenly raised its axe on a unsuspecting sky pirate. A Hydropolitan mage exorcised it immediately before the axe could swing down.

**L̕E͢T͜ ͘R̶͜͝O̸̧L̨AND̨ ̨P͏͜A̷͠͝S͜͡S̷̢.͠ H͜Ȩ͜ ͏I̡S̢ ̕͞U̷͝҉N̵͠D̴̡E̸R̷͝͝ ͝MY͠͡҉ ̢͢P͏͞R̛͞O̷T͜͡ĘC̛͜T̛IO̷N͡.̛͢͟**

To Roland's embarrassment, the wraiths didn't intercept him afterwards. The monsters who weren't under the Horned One's control, however, still attacked him. He could sense the Horned One's frustration at this.

All this did was delay his arrival to the barrier.

Roland wasn't sure what will happen if he ever got there. Perhaps it would be best if he procrastinated on doing so.

**̸̡R͠O҉L̶A͝N͘D̨̛.̨͜͠ Ţ͝H͘E ͝҉B͝A͜͝R̵͟R̷̢͜I͢ER̡̕'̕S͘ ̡GU̸A͡R͝DI̧ĄNS҉ ͟A̴̸R̶͜͢E͏ ̴͢͏U̷N͡D͏͘͠Ȩ͘͢R ̶̧͞AT̡TA̢͠͝CK̵̡͏.͘ ̸͝G͟O͟͢͡ ̛͘H̛E̶͜L̨P̸͝͝ ̶̷TH̨͜E̡M.͏͠**

Roland had to stick his sword into the oddly purple ground to hold himself up as he felt the Horned One try to influence him.

 _Stop it! It hurts!_ he frantically thought to the Kingmaker. He faintly heard someone gasp. He must be producing the aura again.

**S͞͞TO̷̵P ͠R̴̡E̵SI͏̷S̨͘͡T͡IN̵̴G̴!̶̢**

"Never," he gasped aloud. He heard the Horned One growl before it retreated from his mind.

"Oh thank god," he said shakily.

He suddenly felt the cooling touch of a healing spell wrap around him. The cuts and bruises he received from encounters with monsters faded away. His energy was renewed. Roland looked up and saw a hooded mage whose facial features were obscured.

"Are you alright?" asked the mage with a Dellian accent.

"I will be eventually," Roland replied.

"You should leave this island before its too late," advised the mage.

"It's already too late for me," Roland shook his head, "I'd rather fight to the very end."

Cheers suddenly erupted. He and the mage turned their heads to see the barrier collapse. The Horned One roared in rage.

**W͠͏HO͞ ̷͡DARE͏͟S̛ ̡T̕O̶͡͠ ͜҉CH̵͝A͟͢L͜͡͞L͞͏E҉̵NG͟E ͝͏͠ME̸̴?͘**

"WE ALL DO!" shouted Roland, raising his sword as he forgot that no one else can hear and understand the corrupt Kingmaker.

"FOR THE FUTURE OF OUR WORLD!" added Evan as he called forth Mornstar. He ran towards the Horned One and all five armies charged after him, yelling battle cries.

The prodigious Kingmaker found itself surrounded by five armies. The first wave ran in and began to attack its hard body. The soldiers near Evan were driven by how deep Mornstar cut into the rocky hide.

Roland stopped running when he noticed that the Horned One was leaning back. It's maw widened and a red light began to form.

"Retreat!" he shouted, "It's about to attack!" Similar shouts rang out from the more distant soldiers and generals.

The first wave heard the warning and most were able to get out in time. The rest wasn't so lucky. They were engulfed in a red beam that consumed them as it burned a trench into the ground. Some have managed to survive but were gravely injured.

"They're...they're gone..." whispered a Goldpaw archer.

"Xander!" cried out a grimalkin. "Xander, no!"

"M-my tail! Oh gods...W-where's...where's my tail?!"

"Yu Sei? Where are you, Yu Sei?"

"R1-K33 I CAN'T BELIEVE YOU AND YOUR CO-UNITS LET THAT FLESHY VAPORIZE YOUR BACK-UP DRIVES."

"ERROR. SHIELD ARM NOT FOUND. I BELIEVE THE PHRASE IS 'WELL THIS BITES.'"

"By the seas! It carved a line into the earth!"

Voices rang out in the air as survivors discovered which of their comrades have fallen to the Horned One's wrath. Evan looked on, horrified.

"I'm sorry..." he whispered. He knew that there was a possibility that some would never return home but the _reality_ of it...

"Come on, you teething pups!" Gao Jia roared, "You're just going to give up?!"

"But sir!" protested a dog folk warrior in Evermore armor, "that thing just...!"

"And that is what will happen to the world if the Horned One leaves this island!" Gao Jia countered, "Do you think that rabid rock will stop after zapping us? No! Your loved ones will be next!" He pointed to one soldier, "You there! Isn't your wife pregnant?"

"Y-yes."

"Then its your duty to make sure that there's a world for the next generation to come into!"

"No pressure or anything," said a nearby mouse sarcastically.

"He's right," argued another mouse, "it's not just us who are in danger! And I for one am not letting my people down! For Ding Dong Dell!" He then screeched a battle cry in his species' language as he ran while drawing his sword out of its scabbard. His foolish bravery somehow sparked a second wind in others and slowly more began to rejoin the battle.

**̷̨͢Y͟͠OU ͡S͝T̨͘I̢L̨͠L̵ ̧͢Ḑ͡AR̷E D̛͢E͡͞FY ̡M̴E̴?͏**

Sure, why not? Roland decided as he raised his gun and channeled as much magical energy he had into a single bullet before firing. To his surprise, it left a crater in the Horned One's side.

**̷̷R̵Ǫ͞L̡̡A͘N̡D̷̴͜.̛..̡̢!̵͏͟**

A wave of the Horned One's shock at his sudden 'betrayal' rolled through Roland's mind. Why did it think he was on its side the whole time...?

There was no time to wonder about that. Roland yelled over his shoulder, "NOW, EVAN!"

"R-right!" Evan regathered his wits as he concentrated on channeling his own energy through Mornstar. If he can do it through a wand, then why not a magical sword of legend. He can't fail on this now. People are counting on him. He promised Nella...!

He raised the sword over his head, not realizing he was glowing orange. The swell of energy raised him from the ground and with a cry he swung the sword down with all his might.

A wave of energy emitted from the sword and himself shot out and slammed into the Horned One. With a groan, it collapsed, seemingly unconscious.

To Roland's relief, the presence in his head became smaller, as if it was mostly banished. Well...at least he can think by himself again while on this cursed rock.

Cheers erupted all over the island as Evan's ministers found their way to him. They aren't done just yet.

"Now, Lofty!" shouted Evan, sword glowing as it responded to the Kingsbond.

"Righty-oh!" Lofty leaped into the air, also glowing. "ABRAAA-KAZAMMO!"

He transformed into a dragon and paused to allow Evan and his ministers to climb on.

"Tidy! Let's get going!" He flew into the opening left by Mornstar.

It was time to stop Doloran.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I got confused while playing this part. How did they know Doloran was inside the Horned One? So my solution was to have Roland ask.
> 
> I had planned to give the four pillars their own guards for the rulers to fight but all I can think of was Mausinger vs Vermine and nothing else. In the end it became Roland vs The Worst Migraine Ever. orz
> 
> Guy with baby on the way definitely survived this chapter. So did Grimm (who was in this chapter like the other skirmish generals but offscreen) who was initially slated to die but he seems like the type who would have a dramatic speech before kicking the bucket. Death by super fast energy beam would result in his ghost bitching about this insult for eternity.
> 
> I'm sorry if any of you liked my OCs. :O
> 
> (RIP a bunch of nameless Broadleaf battle bots)


	37. Entry 34 - Allegoria

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Roland vs the Worst Headache Ever round 2

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> What do you even call the structures where the mini-bosses are. I gave up and chose 'gazebo' and I'm pretty sure that's not correct but we're stuck with it in here.

LB_Moderator: According to reports, the collective armies of the Five Great Nations appear to be victorious. Unfortunately, there have been casualties.

Muriel: The Horned One has gone quiet for now. I think it got knocked out.

Fred: We've lost some comrades to its desperation attack. Who knows how many more will perish if it wakes up.

Merv: Some survivors in the first aid tents have lost limbs. What do you for those who have lost a tail?

Wen Ti: Balance retraining.

Di Di: Has anyone who fell into comas waken up yet?

Cassandra: My dear Eric hasn't. I'm worried...

Ratasha: Unfortunately, neither has former Chancellor Vermin.

Marlene: That bastard is still evading justice?!

Khunbish: Ah! King Evan just flew into the Horned One!

Wen Ti: I hope he succeeds in whatever he's about to do...

* * *

The inside of the Horned One resembled the land outside: Dark purple, rocky, and lifeless. There was strange light purple noodle shaped 'plants' that...wiggled. Everyone agreed to not touch those.

"Doloran is really in here?" said Tani.

"Indeed he is," confirmed Leander, "Somewhere in here Doloran is performing a ceremony that will result in unleashing the Horned One's true power. With this done, he can restore Allegoria to its original glory at the expense of the rest of the world."

"Then we'd best get in there and give that swab a clobberin' before he can finish it," growled Batu.

"If we see any monsters," Bracken spoke up, "Mornstar will most likely damage them like it did to the Horned One. You need to be ready to use it, Evan."

"Right," the young king nodded.

There wasn't any sign on Doloran or Allegoria. But they did find several treasure chests and the runes of an inactivated Trip Door. The Trip Door made more sense than the chests. Why would those be in the Horned One?

Meanwhile Roland was waiting for the other shoe to drop. It's been quiet in his head so far despite being inside the Horned One. His 'betrayal' may have lead it to believe he was 'unworthy' of an alliance. Roland was fine with that.

Eventually, the group's wandering brought them to a forked path. Roland pondered on where to go as the others choose the moment to rest.

 **turn right** , said a woman's voice. Roland nearly jumped in surprise.

 _What?_ he thought back.

 **you must go this way. turn right.** Strangely, the mental voice came from the same area of his mind as the Horned One. This voice, however, sounded weaker but was determined to be heard. She also sounded familiar...

 **please,** she pleaded.

"This way," Roland confidently pointed to the path on the right.

"Ye sure, lad?" asked Batu as the others followed the Chief Consul.

"...Seventy percent sure," came Roland's reluctant answer, "Something told me to go this way."

"That's not very reassuring, you know," commented Bracken.

"What's the flippin' difference with this new voice in youer head?"

"She's got better volume control for one," admitted Roland before looking around a corner. There's a bright light...

"There's something up ahead," he called out before suddenly running off into that direction.

"Wait, Roland!" yelled Evan as he and the others followed after him, "it could be a trap!"

The path lead to a crumbling wall but no Roland. A boot print on one of the footholds was their only sign that he may have been there. They all carefully climbed up.

"Oh wow," gasped Tani as she viewed the scene before her.

Down the hill was a city built with Classical Nazcaan (or Greek-Roman according to Roland's point of reference) architecture in mind. White stone buildings designed to reflect summer heat had golden glass domes in the center of the rooftops to gather as much day light inside as they possibly can circled around an Obelisk enclosed by connected arched pillars. In the distance, islands with similar structures on top floated high in the sky in defiance of gravity.

Roland was putting away his phone into his arms band, having taking a picture of the city below. His expression was a mixture of awe and confusion.

"How could there be a city here?" he asked.

"Could this be Allegoria?" theorized Evan, "but wouldn't this mean we somehow ended up in the dimension where it was swallowed into...?"

Leander shook his head, "I believe this is Doloran's desire given form. What we're seeing is a memory of Allegoria as it once was."

"It sure does look familiar," said Roland quietly, "Like...I have been here before."

Leander blinked before pushing up his glasses, "...Fascinating."

"Hey look," Tani pointed up to a floating island that was connected to the city section below by a very long stair case, "is that a castle?"

"It's a King's Cradle," corrected Roland without thinking. He frowned as he registered what he just said. How...how did he know that?

"Oh, because of the dragon statue, yeah?" Bracken pointed to the glass-like statue that towered over the King's Cradle. The dragon had her (...wait, 'her?') wings spread out as her tri-horned head looked up to the sky. It looked as though the dragon had spotted something and was about to take off and investigate.

"Whatever it is," Lofty eyed the baffled Roland before hopping up and down, "that's where Doloran is doin' his funny business! I'd put my money on that, mun!"

"This way," said Roland as he found a steep stair case leading to the marketplace (how is that a marketplace?!) below. He carefully descended the stairs, as if he had done it before. He didn't notice Leander staring at him inquisitively.

 **turn back,** warned the voice midway down the stairs, **it's waking up again.**

Well, shit.

 _I can't,_ Roland apologized, _We've reached the city._

 **then please...** the voice begged as it got quieter, **don't...let it...win...**

That...wasn't a good sign. But he has gotten this far and Doloran needed to be stopped. He can't lose his home again.

Roland was the last to reach the bottom of the steps and as he did, the Horned One made itself known once again with the subtlety of an explosion.

**YOU HA͝VE ͡FI҉ŃA͞LLY ĄRR̴I̴V̴E͞D͠. ̷C̸OM̕E ̡F̷ORTH͡ ̴AND̕ ͟JOIN͝ US ̨AS AL̸LE͝GO͞RIA R̷I͞S͢ÉS FRO̶M̴ T̸HE͞ A͜SH͡ES.̷**

The black aura emerged from his body again as he felt something urging his legs to go forward without his input. Pain erupted as his nerves decided to feel like he had been set aflame.

"Not again..." he groaned as he pressed a hand against his chest in an attempt to focus on dispelling the Horned One's presence.

"R-roland!" yelped Evan as he and the others spotted him.

 _You don't need to push me_ , Roland protested to the Horned One, _I'm on my way already!_

**.͟.͘.̷VE͢R̷Y̡ ̕W͢E͝L͞L.͟ W̡E WÍLL B͝E͟ WAITI̴NG͢ IN ̶THE̶ CRA͘DLE. **

The Horned One conceded and released him. As its presence and the aura faded away, Roland realized that the Horned One's voice sounded more feminine and 'clearer' this time. Huh.

"I'm...fine..." Roland reassured the others. Leander didn't look convinced and was about to say something when Doloran suddenly materialized a few feet away from the group.

"It's such a pleasure to welcome visitors to my realm," he said smugly. His triumphant smile seemed to become wider, "Though many souls have joined me here, you are the first to do so _willingly_."

"Doloran!" shouted Evan as he settled in a confrontational stance, "We wont let your plan succeed. We're going to stop you!"

Doloran tilted his head, as if amused. He gave off the impression that under the headdress, he was raising an eyebrow at this declaration.

"...Of course you are," he replied in a patronizing tone, "try as you might, boy, you cannot even hope to touch me. I look forward to seeing you suffer!"

"Why you...!"

Doloran ignored the frustrated boy king to look at Roland, "Ah, there you are. The Horned One has been excited about your arrival for a while now. Would you like to come join us?"

"No, thank you," growled Roland.

"Very well. I'll be waiting for the moment you change your mind." Doloran teleported away.

"Pah," grumbled Batu, "ol' snake-face may talk a good game but mark me words, he's all a-quiver at us makin' it this far!"

"Let's get going," decided Evan, "before more souls are stolen."

Remembering how the path to the King's Cradle was behind the obelisk, the group went around it only to find the gates leading to the stairs were shut and locked. There was four gems on the gates that seemed to be producing a familiar dark aura.

"Drat," sighed Tani.

"The swab wants us to work for it," huffed Batu as Roland carefully poked the gate. It didn't respond to his touch.

"Well," quipped Roland, "I guess we're taking the scenic route."

"If Doloran wants you to join him," said Bracken, "then why is the way to his clubhouse blocked?"

"It may be a test," said Leander, "A show of wits before he deems us worthy."

"But how are we supposed to solve it?" asked Evan.

"Oh, hang on!" Lofty suddenly piped up as he hopped up and down to get their attention, "I'm sensing some things! Closest one is over there!" He pointed to a left-handed path that Roland recognized, to his confusion, as leading to a couple of fruit and vegetable shops.

Behind the pillars holding up the awning for one shop was a ghost. She was dressed in clothing that resembled ancient Roman fashion.

" _Good afternoon,_ " she said, facing Roland, " _Do you know when the owners will be back?_ "

"I'm not sure," Roland replied.

She sighed, " _That's too bad. I was planning to make fruity fried rice and mush kebabs, my children's favorite snack. They've been doing so well in their studies..._ "

"Maybe the owners went out to stock up," Roland suggested.

"What the flip, mun?" came Lofty's voice. He turned and found his friends staring at him in confusion.

"What?"

"Since when are you able to speak Classical Allegorian?" asked Leander, fascinated.

Roland's eyebrows furrowed, "Evan didn't cast Spirit Medium yet?"

"I did," Evan shook his head, "But then you started talking to the spirit in another language. What were you saying?"

"She asked when the owner of this fruit shop will return to reopen the store," Roland recalled, "I told her I didn't know. She was going to reward her children for getting good grades in school..."

"We're in front of a fruit shop?" said Batu as he looked around, "It all looks the same to me. No signs or anythin'..."

"Ask her about Doloran!" suggested Tani.

Roland turned around and found the spot the ghost was occupying empty. "She's gone."

"If this is a memory of Allegoria, then the magic holding her together may have dissipated," suggested Leander, "Memories do fade after a while."

"Then we better get movin'," said Batu, "before the memory of the ground below us goes out."

"Luckily for us, I'm sensing something similar to the flippin' gate," announced Lofty, "this way!"

With no time to question Roland's increasing familiarity with their surroundings, they followed Lofty to a viewing area that revealed an endless horizon past a distant floating island.

In the center of the viewing station was a crystal that was covered in a tainted aura. Curious, Roland touched it and the group found themselves in another dimension reserved for Kingmakers.

Waiting for them was a creature that resembled an oversized Plesiosaur with draconic wings. It roared a challenge before attacking the group.

The battle was surprisingly easy. The creature stayed close to the ground and seemed to halfheartedly attack. When it finally collapsed, it did so with a sigh of relief.

And then they were suddenly brought back to Allegoria. The aura covering the crystal faded, revealing its original yellow surface. Lofty and Leander frowned in contemplation.

"There goes one," said Bracken, "with three more to go."

"The next one is this way," Lofty pointed to a path that lead beyond the forked path they had entered. Following it lead them to a similar area.

The tainted crystal this time revealed a monster that was a mix of a raccoon and a dog. It too barely attacked and seemed happy to be defeated. The crystal it was associated with was blue.

Noticing a pattern, the group returned to the gate to check on it. Two of the crystals on the gate were no longer obscured by shadow. The party then turned back to the obelisk and followed the right-side path to two more similar gazebos. Between them was a ghost dressed in priest-like garb. Roland waited until Evan finished casting Spirit Medium before speaking to it.

"Can you tell us about Doloran?" he asked.

" _Doloran is a youthful king but his bond to his Kingmaker is strong and deep,_ " said the ghost in accented Common Tongue.

"It's flippin' happenin' again," sighed Lofty.

" _It is the strength of this bond_ ," continued the ghost, " _that ensures Allegoria remains peaceful even while war wages elsewhere._ "

"What's with the crystals in the gate?" asked Tani after Roland translated.

" _I'm sorry?_ "

"She's asking about the crystals in the gate leading to the Cradle," repeated Roland.

The ghost looked confused, " _What crystals?_ " He glanced at Tani with suspicion, " _Are you sure that's what the little barbarian said?_ "

It then suddenly dissipated.

"Er," began Roland, "he didn't know, sorry."

"That's alright," reassured Tani, "he was getting snobby towards the end. He called me something, didn't he?"

"...A barbarian," Roland said eventually.

Batu and Tani snorted, "Lad, I've heard worse," Batu shook his head, "but what's really troublin' is how ye seem to know yer way around this place."

"I am very sure I've never been here before," refuted Roland. He would've remembered that - wait. He mentally 'poked' the link to the Horned One.

_Is this your doing?_

**W̧OUL͘DN'̸T ỲOU͝ ͏LIK̴E̴ ͡TO͘ ́KNOW̶.͘**

_Yes, that's why I'm asking!_

**F͜I̡ǸIS̀Ḩ U͢NLO͟C̡KING ͠T͏HE͏ GAT҉E A͠ND͠ ̀THEN͠ MAY̧BE͜ ̷I̛'̀L͢L ͝TELL̀ ̀YO̵U.**

Roland gave up and returned to reality. He was still standing and nothing seemed to hurt outside of scrapes from battle. His colleagues were about to leave him behind as they chose the gazebo on the left. It appears that not much time has passed during his brief conversation otherwise the others would've noticed. He quickly followed after them.

This time, however, the Horned One stuck around. Roland found that he preferred that it didn't. Especially while he was fighting for his life.

**RE͡ĄLLÝ ̕N̛OW, AR͢Ȩ G͞RAV̷ITY S͏PELLS͘ A̧L̶L͜ ҉YOU KN͡OW?͢ HA̕V͡E Y̵ǪU CONSIDE͝RȨD̡ ̧ǪTHE̕R ȨL̛ÈME͝NTS̴?**

_This is not really the time for this_ , said Roland as he dodged a swipe from the third crystal's guardian, a great boar-like being covered in armor. Unlike Porcs, this one didn't stand up on its back legs nor was it armed with weapons. It was also weak to lightning and wind magic of all things.

̵ **T̶Ơ ͡TH̢E L͢E͏F̧T.**

 _I know how to fight, please stop with the backseat driving!_ Roland complained as he dodged a swipe of the boar's armored hoof.

**͢I̢T ͘WOUL̷D̴ BE̷ ̀V̕ER҉Y͘ ̀IN͝CÓNV͢E̛N̵IĘN̴T ̧IF ̛Y͠OU ̸P̷ER͢ÌSH̷ ÁT ͡T̕H̛IS ̸ṔO͘I̸NT IN͡ TI͏M͝E.̴ YOU͘ ̨A̢R̵È ST̷ILL̨ N͢E҉EDED.͘**

_By who?_ asked Roland as Tani fired a lightning spell at the boar, only to miss because it suddenly leaped over the party and landed behind them.

**̛WHO D̸O Y͠OU ŢH͞I͢ŃK͡?**

Roland glanced at Evan, who successfully managed to stab through the armor with Mornstar. The sword glowed as it responded to the darkness it was meant to exorcise. The sword's magic distracted their foe long enough for Leander to cast lightning magic.

The young king has grown under his tutelage. But eventually, Roland's services wont be needed. And...then what? He had nowhere else to go. He'll...find something to do, perhaps. Start a new family?

His heart seemed to squeeze at the thought. He was not ready to consider that yet.

**W͟H͡Y N̕O̕T P̕LEDG̴E̷ YOU͞RS͘ELF́ ͝TO̷ ͝A͏L͝L̶E͢G̀O͜RIA?͏**

'Because its ruler is a megalomaniac bent on either taking over the world or destroying it,' Roland wanted to say but didn't because he knew said megalomaniac's Kingmaker would be unhappy about that opinion. He'd rather not find out what it would do to him when angered.

The boar collapsing in defeat distracted him from the conversation. The group was teleported back to Allegoria where the darkness tainting the crystal faded away. Leander stared at the now purified crystal.

"That resembled the Kingmaker of Hamelin," he commented, "Boreas I believed it was named. It vanished along with Hamelin a few years before the volcano almost destroyed Hydropolis."

"So...the other two, were they Kingmakers too?" asked Bracken.

̧ **YE͢S.**

Roland's sudden horrified expression did little to refute the idea.

"Well now, perhaps we'll be pickin' a fight with Al Mamoon's next," said Batu.

"Makes sense, considering there was a lot of wars after that for a while," commented Bracken as they headed to the final crystal.

Unfortunately, for Roland, the Horned One became more interested in the proceedings. Its heavier presence made it harder to focus as Moorrick voiced a challenge. Unlike the others, this one seemed more interested in fighting.

**WHY ͟M͘US̀T͠ YOU͘ RE̵JE͘CT ME҉?**

_Because I really don't want a creepy voice in my head,_ thought Roland and got the impression of a scoff in response.

**WE̷ ÁR͞E CO̧N͘ŃE̴C͟TE҉D.͡ ẂE̸'VE͘ A̛LW͠AYS B̛E͞EN.**

Since when? Roland shuddered before shooting a bullet imbued with water at Moorrick. The Kingmaker took the form of a scaled ox, which made it look semi-reptilian in appearance. The horns on its head looked sharp and deadly.

It roared when the bullet cracked the horn on the left. It charged in retaliation but everyone quickly dived out of the way. Or rather, Roland teleported several feet away while the others dived. He sensed smugness from the Horned One. Of course it wouldn't let anything greatly harm him now.

**I ̨CAŃ ̢ĢI͢V͘E ̸YOU̴ TH̕AT A͢ND͢ MO͢ŔE̴ IF Y̢O͘U ACC̵EP̛T͜ O͏UR OFF̶ÉR.  
**

And what will he lose in return?

 _No thanks_ , and he gasped as the Horned One retaliated by squeezing...something. Whatever it was, it hurt enough for him to see stars.

**I̵ C̵A͟N GÌVE ̴YOU̢ ̶W͏HAT͡ YO͡Ù ̴W̵AN͡T ̛DȨEP̷ ̴DÓW̴N̷.̴**

It was really getting hard to focus on the fight now. Something tiny squeaked before healing him. One of the Higgledies that followed Evan into the Horned One's shell, most likely.

An image of a woman and a child appeared in his mind. That was...no. He will not have his family used against him!

**FOOL. ̷DO ͏NO͡Ţ D̶EN̛Y Y͞OU͘R͜ T́R̡UE DȨSIRE.̢**

Something very big collapsed. Roland assumed it was Moorrick. How long have they been fighting the Kingmaker? Time suddenly seemed nothing when a very loud and pushy voice is ringing through his being. He vaguely heard somebody ask him a question and he nodded in response. A small blob squeaked and a soothing light surrounded him, causing the ache in his head became slightly weaker.

He followed the blurs to a...structure. The gate. It makes a loud noise. It's opening.

**ÌT̸'S TH̢E ̵BO͡Y͡,҉ ͢I̡SN'T ͜I̡T́?҉ HE͞'S ̸H̷O͡L͝DI͜N͡G ̨Y҉O͠U̸ BACK.**

The Horned One sounded accusatory. He felt his arm reach for a short blob that was yellow on top. Who was that again?  
**  
ḐES͏TROY͏ ͞H̡I̧S ͏K͟I̷NGMAKE̷R. IT ̸IS͘ ͟A̵ MER҉E ͞C͠AN҉D͝L̶E T͜O͜ ͟MY̧ P͠O͜WE͢R͡.̶ ̷**

"N-no," denied Roland, "I will not."

There was a gasp and he faintly saw a glimpse of black. Oh, he's doing the thing again.

"Roland?" somebody said.

**DESTROY I̧T ̷AN͢D Y̛OU̶ ͏DESTR͟O̴Y͜ ̨M̀OR͏N͢SŢÀR͜ AS WELĹ. Y͝OUR̢ ̕S̢U͠R͡VIVA͠L D͜EPEN͝DS ON I͢T.  
**

"Get...get back," he warned. It took all of his willpower to take a step back away from the group.

The Horned One 'frowned' before releasing him. The sudden telepathic 'lightness' was too much for his taxed body. Roland felt a rush of movement before suddenly hitting something smooth and solid. He faintly registered it as the ground before unconsciousness took over.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This took like four days and part of that reason was that fanfiction.net kept breaking on me and guess who is the idiot relying on the file manager page instead of using offline programs like Word and Notepad? Me, that's who.
> 
> Yes, the Zalgo font does seem different this time. I'm using a lighter version to show the difference between the Horned One at a distance and more or less being inside its mind (?) .
> 
> I do have a reason for Roland experiencing deja vu but that wont be revealed until next chapter.
> 
> The four crystal bosses were originally random monsters but then I remembered that Doloran had been yoinking Kingsbonds whenever he could for about two thousand years so the four guardians became Kingmakers. Two of them are references to a Studio Ghibli movie and a Level 5 game. Can you guess what they are?
> 
> Part of next chapter has already been written so I have a bit of a head start. I want to say that it might come out between tomorrow night and Monday but knowing my luck, it'll be much later than that. orz


	38. Entry 35 - The Two Kings

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Insert [Persona 4 music plays in the distance] joke here

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I wasn't actually expecting to finish this chapter within 24 hours but it has happened.
> 
> Alternate chapter title was 'I face myself' but since (spoiler alert) nobody actually says 'No, you're not me!' I don't really feel justified in using that reference. But my brain played the Persona 4 soundtrack while I wrote this chapter anyway. orz
> 
> Anyway, read on.

Roland's sudden collapse caused the group to panic. What was happening to him? Is the Horned One punishing him for unsealing the gate?

Batu picked him up and carried him to a wall where he was propped up against it. Roland whimpered in response. Leander retrieved a vial of soreaway that was allowed to mature into a stronger and more potent plant. He uncapped the vial and with Bracken carefully opening Roland's mouth, Leander poured the mixture down his throat.

Immediately, color returned to Roland's skin. His eye brows unfurrowed as the pain eased. The tightness of his facial muscles relaxed. But then his face tightened once more and he groaned as the dark aura tried to envelope him again.

Lofty began to glow as he tapped the Chief's Consul's leg as he was too short to reach Roland's forehead. It just meant his magic would take longer to reach the source of his ailment. In the meantime, Roland twitched and moaned as he endured a nightmare the aura seemed to be giving him.

And then at last Lofty's magic hit the target and Roland's body seemed to sag as his mental defenses were renewed enough to take a break from fighting the intrusion. Lofty frowned as he spotted the link. It looked very old, as if it has been around for Roland's entire life. It also looked like...well. That was surprising. How did he flippin' miss that before?

Unfortunately, being this close to the Horned One meant whatever strong defenses Lofty could set up for Roland would be knocked down with catastrophic consequences. The best he can do is leave a thin wall that should remind the Horned One how fragile its target has become. It should also be strong enough for Roland to have a better chance at resisting.

With his work done, Lofty stepped back. Roland groaned as he stirred.

"Ugh...what..." he mumbled as he focused on regathering his wits. He spotted Tani and Evan standing nearby him and he sighed in relief.

"You're both okay..." Which gave everyone a hint as to what he was forced to envision. Batu glanced at his daughter and hoped that he would never have to experience Roland's fears in reality.

"Are you?" said Tani, "You gave all of us quite a scare!"

"I'm okay now," replied Roland but even he knew dubious that statement was and he sighed. "Sorry for scaring you, everyone."

Evan held out a hand and Roland grabbed it and carefully picked himself up, using the wall behind him to steady himself. He then blinked as he noticed something.

"It's...quieter in here," he said.

"Youer welcome," chirped Lofty.

Roland lightly chuckled before looking up at the vast steep staircase to the King's Cradle. They need to put an end to this.

"Let's go."

They all missed Leander watching Roland, deep in thought. The energy of the dark magic Roland was producing seemed...familiar somehow. But where had he encountered it before?

* * *

It would turn out that part of the very long stair case was an illusion spell cast to test the climber's dedication to reaching the King's Cradle. For a prospective king, it would count as a trial. For an intruder, it would deter them.

"Doloran must be in here," said Evan as this particular group reached the top.

"Aye, that he must, lad," growled Batu as he clapped his fists together menacingly, "and me fists are itchin' to clobber that cur!"

"This could be our final battle," announced Bracken, her face grim with determination, "so let's put our best foot forward!"

Everyone nodded and entered the Cradle.

...The Cradle's foyer turned out to have a wall detailing a map of a maze beyond a set of doors. A trip door was waiting by the entrance of the maze.

Roland stared at the map for a good while before nodding his head, "Well, I think I know where to go."

"You do?" asked Evan in surprise.

"I'm just as confused as you are," said a resigned Roland, "but this time we should take advantage of it."

* * *

The paths Roland ended up leading everyone through twisted and turned into many directions. A few times there would be somebody voicing the reasonable concern that maybe they are lost.

It wasn't until they reached a set of doors when Evan said, "This place is giving me a very nasty feeling..."

Roland approached the doors only to lean against a wall for support as the dark aura appeared again.

"We're almost there..." he gritted out, "you can explain it to me then."

The aura faded.

"What was that about?" asked Batu.

"A sign that we're getting closer," said Roland as he opened the doors to find...another hallway with a set of doors on the other end. He sighed. "Are you kidding me?"

"Tidy!" chirped Lofty, "I'm sensing strong magic that way! We're almost to the end!"

"About time," muttered Roland.

The doors opened when Roland approached them. The group entered to find a large circular room with statues of snake heads aligned with the walls. Each statue had a jet of purple flames resting on the snake's lower jaw. Opposite of the doors was a short staircase to an altar that had its own set of flames. It was also bordered by a group of darkened pillars.

All around the room, golden lights floated about until they drifted into the center where a glowing circle absorbed them.

The group watched in horror as wraiths emerged from the statues. They all groaned their first words before teleporting away.

_For Allegoria..._

_Doloran...Master Doloran..._

_He's here..._

A figure at the main altar turned and looked down at the Evermore party below. He smirked. At last...

Doloran chuckled as he descended the stairs.

"You have done well to make it this far," he praised. They even got past the maze in one go on their first try. Even he had trouble when he was a crown prince and was training to become King...

"That's enough, Doloran!" shouted Evan.

"This ceremony ends here and now!" added Roland.

"Does it indeed?" said Doloran in a disappointed tone, "Are you saying you don't share my vision, Roland? A vision of a better world?"

He sighed, "A pity. I had hoped you of all people would understand. Why else would you have attempted the treaty that brought you here in the first place?"

"How did you - gah!" Roland flinched as the aura reappeared once more. But this time the shield Lofty put in place allowed Roland to keep standing and remain alert and clear-headed as he can get while psychically fighting off a Kingmaker who had no respect for boundaries.

"Doloran...Is this...your doing?" Roland demanded.

"Me?" Doloran sounded affronted, "I've done nothing at all!"

"Then what's happening to him?" asked Tani.

"The Horned One has been trying to protect him from the soul gathering," Doloran explained. "If Roland would stop resisting and accept his ties to the Horned One, he wouldn't be in this situation."

"Wait, what?" said Bracken.

"You see, if great harm comes to either one of us," revealed Doloran, "it will harm the other as well."

"Of course," Leander realized, "It all makes sense now...You and Roland are.."

Doloran turned to the Archon's direction, pleased, "Ah, I see you have figured it out first, Leander. Excellent. Now, allow me to show you..."

With a snap of his fingers, a burst of dark magic melted away his headdress and the gold face paint.

Roland stepped back in shock, "W-what?"

Standing before the Evermore delegation was a man with Roland's face. However, his eyes gleamed red, his skin was tinged an unnatural gray which Leander noted to be a symptom of overexposure to untamed wild magic, and his hair was bleached white...although, that could be his natural hair color...

'Of course my evil twin would have a mullet,' thought Roland as he took another look at Doloran once the shock died down. He didn't need a reminder of that style phase he went through when he was sixteen.

"What the devil is this?" demanded Batu.

"Don't you see, Roland?" smirked Doloran, "We are connected. We are the same. You're me and I'm you."

"That...that can't be true," denied Roland even though he sensed that deep down, it was true.

"Doloran is correct," said Leander apologetically, "There's a legend that states that some worlds are connected and thus there are people in both worlds who are linked to one another. As you can see, the legend is true. The fact that Doloran's growth in power is affecting Roland is proof of the connection. They are what you call 'soul mates.'"

"Is this why Roland seems to know his way around the place?" asked Tani.

"Rolly-boy here is unconsciously drawin' from Ole Snakey's memories through the soul mate link," explained Lofty, "its why he's been doin' things like speakin' a dead language without being aware of it and beatin' a maze he never encountered before."

"It is also the reason why Roland has some magical talent despite being from a world that has no magic," added Leander before glancing at Roland, who still emitted the dark aura, "not surprising considering his other self is a sorcerer..."

"So does this mean Roland has a Kingsbond too?" asked Bracken, "I mean, why else would he be able to hear it, yeah?"

"As my soul mate, he is Bonded to the Horned One but it would be naturally weaker compared to my own. Now, if he fully pledges himself..."

"No thanks," Roland then flinched as the aura seemed to flare in response, "I'd rather not go deaf."

"To be honest, mun," said Lofty as he looked up at him in concern, "with the way youer health is going, that would be the least of youer flippin' worries. Even a pure heart can't take a beatin' from the darkness for too long."

"It would be in your best interest to join me," demanded Doloran, "You know it deep down within your heart, Roland. You have no choice in the matter."

Roland shook his head, "Oh, I have a choice all right. I always have a choice. What kind of leader would I be if I don't find alternate solutions first? I'm a president...a king."

He stood up straighter, determined to be heard, "Since the day I took my throne, I knew that if it came down to it - if it would help my people - I would gladly give up my life!"

The kids looked up at him in shock.

"Roland!" gasped Evan in horror. He was just bluffing, right? He wouldn't...

Roland's grimacing smile was all teeth as the Horned One doubled down on him, "And besides...if I can't kill you, then you can't kill me as well, no? If I die then you die."

Doloran chuckled, "Very true. And that is why, if you don't join me, you'll be banished to another world where you can't do harm to either of us." He lifted up a hand and a small ball of flames appeared in his palm to symbolize what he was capable of.

And in that moment, Roland seemed to understand.

"I see," he said quietly, "I get it now..." He then said loudly, "I think I know why I was brought to this world..."

Doloran raised an eyebrow, "Please, enlighten us."

"Your country, Allegoria, was destroyed...and my country, Eagalia, was destroyed too..." Roland rambled as he felt the defenses Lofty had set up start to crumble. He needed to say it before he misses the chance...

"You and I are the same," explained Roland, "Two kings with no kingdoms left to rule. So we were given a chance...One last chance to save our homes..." This was the right thing to say considering how the aura became weaker, as if the Horned One approved.

"Correct," agreed Doloran while raising an eyebrow at the other man calling himself a king for the sake of simplifying his role in his home world for his allies' benefit.

"But don't you see?" Roland hissed before taking advantage of the Horned One's mistake of easing up on him to use a lot of his energy to push it back to the 'corner' his mind from whence it came. The aura vanished and he was left nearly breathless but he was stubbornly standing up straight, "The kingdom the Horned One has given you - it's not the same place you once ruled."

He called forth his sword from his arms band, "I'm going to make you see," he announced, "I'm going to defeat the Horned One and remind you who really are!"

"Who I really am...?" said Doloran, baffled before he got angry, "You think you know me, Roland? You know NOTHING!"

"Then enlighten me," Roland challenged.

Doloran waved his arm in response and a blast of dark wind threatened to blow away the party. Everyone managed to stay in place despite the wind's force. Doloran summoned a ball of purple energy that he pulled apart to form a long gold staff that on one end had three orbs arranged to form a triangle pattern in a circle. A snake head capped the staff. The orbs in the staff also produced an aura of darkness that seemed to obscure their true appearance.

Doloran's snake headdress and the gold face paint reformed themselves as he shouted, "You will delay my plans no more!" A large ball of darkness formed on the staff and he swung it to produce a similar colored whip made of magic. Everyone dodged to avoid getting hit before they were able to summon their weapons.

"Did...did I just call myself a king back there?" Roland was heard asking himself before he shook his head, "This place is really getting to me..."

"Focus!" scolded Bracken, "Now's not the time!"

"Right," said Roland before ducking to avoid a whip strike.

Doloran's rage seemed to power his magic but he wasn't mindlessly attacking. Even though he would leave himself open to counter attacks, he also had a tendency to teleport away before a heavy hitting strike or spell could hit him. This caused Bracken and Leander to lean against a statue before attempting to snipe with charged up spells when an opportunity shows itself.

Evan managed to hit Doloran with a water spell and the sorcerer king tilted his head while dripping water onto the floor.

"You call that magic, boy?" he taunted before floating off the floor and raising his staff. Three tornadoes made of water began to form.

"Behold what magic can do!" The tornadoes grew in size and strength. If he released them, everything would get hit...Roland quickly raised his gun and concentrated until a gravity spell form around it. He pulled the trigger and the spell hit Doloran head on. The Allegorian king roared as the spell knocked him down to the floor. The tornadoes dissipated.

"Gah!" Roland dropped down to his knees as he felt a tingling energy across his torso.

"Roland!" yelled Tani.

"Now do you believe me?" growled Doloran as he got back up, "Attack me and you attack yourself, Roland."

From his spot on the floor, Roland glowered in anger. How could he make the other man see the flaws to his plan if neither can harm each other without consequences?

"Arise, warriors of Allegoria," Doloran suddenly called as an orb of darkness began to form around him, "come to me!"

Large wraiths suddenly appeared and honed in on the group in a swarm formation.

_Protect King Doloran..._

_Allegoria must rise...again..._

_For Allegoria...For our king..._

"There's too many of them!" yelled Evan as he slashed one down with Mornstar.

"Oh flippin' yeah," agreed Lofty.

"They're a distraction!" called Roland as the wraiths avoided him, "Doloran must be up to something in that orb!"

"Aye, we need to break the swab out of it," agreed Batu as he swung his hammer to clear a path to Doloran.

"I'll hold them off!" decided Roland, "Focus on Doloran!"

_Why do you associate with them?_ asked a wraith in a judgemental tone as it turned to face Roland, _They're nothing but barbarians._

"Why I never...!" an offended Leander huffed before striking a wraith down with a large stream of water. Between the two of them, they kept the wraiths busy as the others worked on taking down the shield around Doloran.

Evan yowled a battle cry before he swung Mornstar with all his strength at the shield. It began to crack and so he channeled the Daybreak spell into the sword before swinging it down again.

The shield shattered and the light spell, amplified by Mornstar's purifying effect, blasted Doloran across the room. He collided with a wall between two snake statues and as a result became dazed.

_Your Majesty!_

_Protect the King!_

The remaining wraiths ignored the intruders and headed straight to Doloran who was slowly regathering his wits.

"Such tenaciousness," he groaned as he blinked away stars from his eyes. Since when did he lose resistance to light spells?

He can look into that later. Right now, he has a naive young king to deal with. He tapped the floor with his staff and large white circles appeared. The air became cold and everyone looked down to see ice forming. All combatants except for the wraiths got out of the way as large mountains of ice shot up into the ceiling.

The unlucky wraiths dissipated into the ether once the ice magic wore off.

"Hmph," said Doloran, "I missed."

"But I wont," Roland fired his gun again and a bullet flew Doloran before hitting the inside of a snake statue's mouth.

"Really, Roland, you call that -" a weaker version of Daybreak collided into him and he dropped to the floor. Evan lowered his hand, rightly guessing Roland was using himself as a distraction.

"It's over, Doloran," declared Evan as the flames within the statues and the main altar suddenly died out, "You've failed."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The main reason I'm having everyone carry potion versions of Soreaway is because I never got around to depicting Evan and Tani learning that healing spell so it kinda feels weird if they suddenly know healing magic. Also if you think about it, where the heck are they getting spare pots when they encounter soreaway in the wild in-game?
> 
> This chapter is not directly in Roland's POV because if I do that, then I would have to deal with all kinds of formatting shenanigans for the Horned One's dialogue and everything could just end up unnecessarily angstier. I'm technically giving the poor man a break.
> 
> The reveal scene pretty much became an accumulation of some of my headcanons on the soul mate link/bond/whatever between Roland and Doloran (and by extension, the Horned One/Alisandra). Namely: Even though Roland is consciously unaware of the bond's presence, he can unconsciously pull memories and skills from the link, which in turn allows him to do stuff like speak a language nobody else besides Doloran speaks and navigate a maze because Doloran has done it many times before. Since Doloran is a freaking powerful sorcerer with two millennia of practice, some of that magic talent leaks onto his soul mate even if the soul mate is from a world where magic is not a thing.
> 
> Roland is technically bonded to the Horned One through Doloran but his end of the Kingsbond is a lot weaker but it is enough for the Horned One to 'speak' with him and rescue him from a very painful death because if he dies through unnatural causes, then Doloran dies too. Roland could gain more access to the Kingsbond if he stops rejecting it but the consequences wont be pretty for an already taxed 'pure heart' vs the vast power of an ancient Kingmaker.
> 
> Lastly, through the logic of 'if I die then you die,' neither can't attack the other without experiencing psychic/spiritual/idk pain from where they wounded the soul mate. Roland is lucky he avoided actually shooting Doloran with actual bullets because I doubt he wants to indirectly re-enact the crossbow incident.
> 
> I'm not sure if the next chapter is going to be crazy long too but I'm gonna take a break over the weekend before I burn myself out.


	39. Entry 36 - The Fall of Allegoria

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Doloran: Behold, my backstory! Now in magical VR!  
> Roland: But why

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I split the chapter up into two so it can flow better. That and I am still figuring out how to do the final boss fight so...yeah. Might as well release this half now.

Ever since King Evan and a small task force entered the Horned One, the battlefield was beset by waves of wraiths. They seemed to stream out of the cursed creature, who was content to send hundreds of them instead of itself attacking the diverse armies. Everyone was fine with that. They all seen what happened when it fired a blast of super heated energy an hour ago. It had burned a trench into the ground and all was left of the unlucky soldiers who didn't get out in time was bits of burnt armor and metal shells.

No one was looking forward to post-battle role call.

The wraiths were becoming more aggressive as time went on but the more recent ones seemed more disorganized. As if they just popped into existence without receiving more complicated instructions.

The Horned One must be becoming desperate.

Fred parried a wraith's sword and slayed it once he found an opening. He wondered how nobody had gotten their soul stolen while being this close to the Horned One. But he can't complain on that. As long as he can fight to the very end...

The wraith he defeated made a noise that almost sounded like a child's voice saying "Thank you." He shuddered. By the gods, was there any lines the Horned One wouldn't cross?

The golden ball of light he had released floated to the shore somewhere behind him instead of going up to the sky. He wondered where it was going.

He hadn't been paying attention so he missed one of the larger monsters sticking its leg out and tripping him. Fred quietly cursed as he landed on the ground. How could he have become so careless?

He turned over onto his back and froze as he saw a wraith standing over him raise its sword with intent to deal a killing blow.

'Well, this is it,' he thought as he raised an arm over his face in an instinctual attempt to protect it from harm.

Death never came for him. Instead, to his surprise, the wraith spontaneously dissipated and a soul reformed before floating away.

"Are you alright?" asked a Goldpaw warrior as he rushed over and helped Fred stand.

"I am," Fred replied, "thank you."

They both watched as the Horned One froze and the red lights peeking out of its rocky hide went out as if the Horned One was just turned off. The stream of wraiths trickled to a stop before they all suddenly became freed souls. Everyone watched as the souls floated away to many directions that were recognized as where the Kingdoms are located. The dark purple clouds cleared away to reveal a familiar blue sky.

"We did it," said the Goldpaw warrior, "we won..."

* * *

[MEANWHILE]

"It's over, Doloran," declared Evan as the flames within the statues and the main altar suddenly died out, "You've failed. Your plans for world domination has fallen through."

"World domination...?" said an incredulous and exhausted Doloran, "you have read too many fairy tales, boy. The world was never my prize."

"What?" replied Evan, surprised.

"It was a beautiful place, my home..." began Doloran nostalgically, "A realm of peace and prosperity..."

"I was the king of Allegoria," and suddenly it was like Roland was there. He was looking down at the city below from the palace. He noticed that he was holding something in his hand and he quickly glanced at it find a staff similar to what Doloran has now but the snake motif was missing and the orbs were green instead of obscured with purple darkness.

 _"I was given the crown too soon."_ Roland recalled the day he was crowned. The streets were filled with his celebrating subjects as he was paraded down the road after exiting the King's Cradle in triumph. If only his parents were there to see it...

But...his parents _did_ attend both of his inaugurations. They were both alive last he saw them.

 _"None loved my kingdom more than I."_ Roland found himself walking past the obelisk in the marketplace before being greeted by his people as they went about shopping. There was shouts in the distance as various vendors running stalls announced how fresh their wares are.

He smiled. His kingdom was thriving.

All was well.

 _"But I was conceited...arrogant."_ Roland then realized that Doloran was sharing memories with him through the link. He was trying to manipulate the other man to take his side out of sympathy. How can he get this to stop?

 _"Our Kingmaker was a being known as Alisandra."_ Roland was considering building a mental 'wall' when an image of a pure white chimeric creature entered his mind. It... _she_...had a horse-like head, the manes of a lion on top of her head and around where her neck and body meet, the body shape of a dragon covered in pure white scales. Her wings were a bluish white that shined with symbols of ancient magic older than Allegoria itself. On her head was three horns, the center one being smaller and between two much larger horns.

She looked beautifully majestic. Roland couldn't help but feel awe at the sight of her.

 _"In strengthening our bond, I committed the greatest of all sins. I fell in love."_ Wait what? _How?_ He really didn't want to find out how the two solved the logistics of such a relationship. He attempted to wrench himself away from the memory and almost succeeded. As a result, the image of a woman with light blue skin and white hair failed to properly unveil itself, leaving any more distinguishable features blurred at best as if he couldn't properly recall despite his (Doloran's?) feelings of nostalgia. She...did seem awfully familiar though.

 _"Love between king and kingmaker was is an offense against the will of the gods."_ Roland could feel the Horned One stir at this. He sensed a thrum of disagreement coming from _her_.

Roland briefly returned to reality where he saw the others were listening. Batu and Bracken were skeptical while Leander was doing his best to not look sympathetic. Lofty looked as though he was remembering something important.

Roland's eyes met his double's and it was enough for Doloran to wrestle control over the link back to himself.

 _"As punishment, she was cursed to spend the rest of her days in the guise of the Horned One, and cast, along with Allegoria, into another dimension."_ Roland was then showed a memory of Doloran sitting in the courtyard gardens wondering why Alisandra hasn't visited the palace yet when suddenly there was a rumbling noise before everything began to shake. There was a loud crack as the palace spires began to crumble. Distant voices from the city below became louder as everyone started shouting and screaming.

He watched in horror as buildings began to rise into the sky. What...what was happening? He looked up to see a swirling vortex swallowing everything up.

 **Doloran...you must...escape!** said Alisandra, her voice strained, through their Kingsbond, which has begun twisting and stretching. It caused indescribable pain to throb through Doloran's very being. Through his soul.

 _Alisa, what is happening?_ Doloran asked.

 **It's...all my...fault...** she confessed, **I...shouldn't have...**

A draconian being appeared within the vortex and it roared with rage as something pulled it away from the vortex's event horizon.

 **DOLORAN** **M̨͏Y͜͠͡ ̡Ĺ̶̷̡͘O̵̧̢͘͢V͡͡͠Ę̧̀́͝,** it shouted, its voice terribly familiar, **HELP ME!**

 _What is that?_ demanded Doloran as dread settled into his stomach.

 **The Horned One,** answered Alisandra, her voice becoming weaker as the Kingsbond threatened to snap into two, **my... punishment...**

 _That's...that's you?_ Doloran was horrified. Her punishment? For what? Being in love?

**you must...escape...**

_Alisandra!_ His feet left the ground and he found himself floating up to the all-consuming vortex. The roaring wind did nothing to muffle the screams for help as others were sucked in. This can't be happening...!

 **I cannot allow you to die!** with one last push of strength, she teleported Doloran onto a hill outside of Allegoria's walls.

"ALISANDRA!" he screamed. There was no answer.

He could only watch as the vortex destroyed his beloved land until there was nothing left. The vortex then sealed itself closed once finished.

He wandered through the ruins of his once great kingdom, calling for survivors to appear. For his Kingmaker to appear.

There was no answer. Everything was gone.

Doloran collapsed to his knees and wordlessly screamed out his grief.

Days later, he returned to sanity and examined the Kingsbond. It was still there but strained yet had not shattered. He prodded it.

_Alisandra?_

**f̨r͜ę̴e̷͝͞ ̵u̕͞ś, ̴͟de҉̵a͜r̴ ̸̴hea̸͠ŕ̵t͏̡͘,̴̸** said a weak voice that sounded almost just like her but more...wild.

"But how?" said Doloran out loud as he felt despair setting in again.

**̶̷͢d͏͢҉ơ͠ ͞nǫ̸̧t̴̡ ̷̨̀g̷͝i̢v҉̶̡e͜͝ ̷̧̀u̸p͞ ͏̴̷f̀͢͜o̶r̡͡ ̨I̢ ̶͡k̸̀͝n͏ó̧̕w͡ y̶oú̡͝'̵l̴͜͠ļ̴̶ ̛f͢i͘҉n̷d̷̢ ̡a͘ ̡w̴͏ay҉.̕ ͏̛̀I̡ ̶͟b̧͢͡elie͝v̵è̕ in͝ ̷̨y̷ơ̛͝u͞.͜**

_"And so, I vowed to bring her back. She and my beloved kingdom."_

Roland was abruptly brought back to reality and he found himself swaying on his feet, feeling discombobulated by the rush of violent memories. He felt somebody plant a hand on his shoulder to steady him. Roland looked up to see a man with his bushy brown hair contained under a multi-colored bandana. The man's mustache twitched as he looked down at Roland in concern. And then Roland remembered. Ah yes, that's right.

He mouthed 'Batu?' and the sky pirate nodded in confirmation. Batu then turned his head and glared at Doloran who seemed unconcerned about his other self's state.

"I set out to acquire all the Kingsbonds of our world," he continued, "that I might use their combined power to reawaken Alisandra."

"How," Roland started before pausing to confirm that yes, everyone can hear him. Lofty frowned before inching his way to the Chief Consul, "how did you know that was possible?"

"The 'guise' of the Horned One, you said," interrupted an intrigued Leander as he adjusted his glasses. The action hid the fact that he was glancing at Roland in concern. Now to buy Lofty more time... "I take it the creature we see is but an outer shell within which Alisandra lies trapped? If so, the strength of the Kingsbonds might serve to reach that which lies deep within. To fully reconnect king and Kingmaker and free her from her prison."

"It is as you say," confirmed Doloran, "if Alisandra can be revived, Allegoria may yet to rise from the ashes. And I shall regain both my kingdom and my beloved."

"It must've been awfully hard," said Tani, "what with wars that can destroy a whole kingdom happening a lot over the years."

Lofty stepped behind Roland and carefully tapped him on the back of his leg. Flip, why hadn't he considered the soul mate link as a means of telepathic attack? What's with Allegorians and attacking one of _his_ citizens so cruelly?

"Indeed, it was," the sorcerer agreed, "It took me a hundred and fifteen years before I was able to acquire a Kingsbond. It belonged to one of Allegoria's former rivals. Tensions between our kingdoms were always coloring conversation between rulers and not once did Patrician Wendel or his successor, Patrician Randall, come and investigate Allegoria's disappearance like King Purrcy and Sea King Calypso had. Randall had been considering starting another war and didn't care if his citizens didn't want to. So I...intervened. Alas, one wasn't enough to free Alisandra but it did strengthen our own Kingsbond. By then, I hadn't heard her voice in ninety years."

"Now you know what I seek," Doloran concluded, "Never again, shall my kingdom be lost to time."

He refocused on Roland, who he found to have a new shield set in place thanks to Evermore's Kingmaker. No matter, there are other ways to convince him. He cannot lose the one who would truly understand this horror...!

"Roland, if my realm were to restored, then Eagalia too might return," Doloran said calmly to hide his growing desperation.

The other man's eyes widened as he considered the possibility.

"You would be reunited with your family," added Doloran in a sympathetic tone, "Don't you want that?"

"I..." Roland looked conflicted.

"Don't you want to see Melissa and Sean again, Roland? Surely you miss them..."

"I-I do," confessed Roland.

"Surely, you would join me if that outcome was your reward?" tempted Doloran.

**Evan, mun, flippin' do something!**

Roland appeared to be seriously considering joining his counterpart despite any consequences of their combined actions for something that was most likely never possible. He would really throw away all he and Evan worked for? All for a very slim outcome?

Anger welled up in Evan. How dare this man use Roland's family against him!

"He can't!" Evan raised his voice, getting everyone's attention. Even Roland seemed to snap out of it, "He won't! Not that way!"

"Evan...?" he heard Roland say quietly.

It spurred on Evan, "Just because you would do anything to bring a loved one back, it doesn't mean you should!" He too had lost everything but he didn't spend all his time wallowing in sorrow!

"Would your family truly be happy if they ever learn what you had done to bring them back, Roland?" he coldly added. Roland could only look at him in horror as he considered what siding with Doloran _meant_.

Doloran stared at the boy king, his body language the only way to tell that he was surprised by the boy's sudden rebuttal.

The Horned One, however, intervened before Evan could go further.

**D̨͘͢O̢҉L̵͠Ó͘R̀A̷҉N̡҉, ͘͜͟I͜T͏̧'̨̛S҉̶ T̢̀IME̴͝.̀͠ F̡R҉̡EÉ̡͠ ̢̡ME͟.̧̢**

A dark purple aura covered the sorcerer king. He tried to channel it away but it refused to go anywhere. It started to build up and it felt like it was crushing him.

"What..." he gasped, "What is...happening...to me?!"

"Doloran!" shouted Roland.

"What's going on?" asked Bracken.

"That horrible black stuff comes from the Horned One, you know," explained Lofty as he fought to maintain the shields on Roland so the Horned One wouldn't consume him as well, "Doloran by yur's been...channeling it, like."

He shook his head, "But it looks like it's finally gettin' the better of him. That or he's been infected by it from the very start..."

**̷Í͠ ̵̢W̸I͠S̡͢͞H ҉̧TO B҉̕E̷͝ ̸͠F̷̕REE͜͏!̴ ̢́H̴̨͞E̵͏L̀͡͡P̸̀ ́͘M̛E͢͡,̡̕ D͢E̷̡A̧͝R̡͢ ̷̛HE̵A̷҉̡R̶̨T!̢͘**

"I..." gasped Doloran as he realized the ritual he had started had reached its completion. He was so close now. It doesn't matter if he had Roland's help in this. What could Roland do if there was nothing else to be done? Doloran stopped fighting the aura and the crushing pain ceased as he was lifted into the air.

"I will restore them!" he bellowed, "I must! Alisandra! Allegoria! Both shall live again!"

 **I don't want that,** said the familiar woman's voice, who Roland realized was Alisandra herself trying to get herself heard. **not like this...**

Was Doloran truly unable to hear her true voice...?

"You would really do that?" lectured Roland, "You'd destroy whole countries, steal countless souls, just to get what you want? You think that's love? You think Alisandra really wants you cause so much destruction and pain?"

**̴h̛e͢lp͏ him!...help us͝!̶**

But how? It was clear that the Horned One was about to win. But, on the other hand...what if Alisandra, the real Alisandra was indeed waiting? Two millennia may be enough time to rebuild herself...right?

**T̸EL̸L͜ ̀H̢IM̕.**

Too late did Roland realize his mistake as he added, "Then you don't deserve to love! And you sure as hell don't deserve to be a king!"

"Oh flip, mun," groaned Lofty.

Rage filled Doloran, "You would defy me? You are me! We want the same thing! We both want to be reunited with who we love! Don't you deny it!"

Roland took a deep breath to calm himself, "No, it's not that simple."

Any attempts to continue and try to explain himself failed as Doloran rose higher, glowing with the combined power of the Horned One and two thousand years worth of Kingsbonds, "My crimes will be more than outweighed by the revival of Allegoria! By the return of all that has been lost!"

He screamed as the energy burst out of him, "RISE, BELOVED KINGDOM! LIVE AGAIN!"

The room exploded in a flash of colors as the world trembled.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Okay so, I figured Doloran would try everything to sway Roland to his side so why wouldn't he subject Roland to personalized flashbacks? He probably would've also gone extra with his Hero's Temptation Speech by dramatically circling around Roland, bombastically gesturing, and pretty much disorientating the guy so he could only focus on him...while somehow doing it psychically so its like he's doing it in two places at once with the Horned One helping him maintain it or something. I actually want to write an alternate scene of this now. *tosses it into the to-do list*
> 
> But alas, Roland's been having one hell of a day so Lofty is feeling protective.
> 
> Leander in canon gives me that vibe that he's sympathetic to Doloran's feelings to Alisandra sort of because of how his own relationship with Nerea was like before Evermore showed up. Here he's also like that but he also wants to help distract Doloran from noticing a Lofty Ex Machina happening under his very nose.
> 
> Next chapter is the final boss fight and hopefully the last time I require bold fancy font and html.


	40. Entry 37 - The Final Battle

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> "Now, come on," said Roland, determined, "let's save the world. _Our_ world."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I still have no idea what I'm doing when it comes to fight scenes yaaaay.

The world outside of the shell shook.

The Horned One's shell started to crack with the light of Kingsbonds peeking through. Large chunks crumbled and fell to the ground below as soldiers scrambled to get out of the way.

Once there was a big enough hole, the light reformed into a being that slowly uncurled itself as it emerged from its cocoon.

Doloran rose to meet it, "At last, my beloved, you are free!"

**Į̶͠ND̨E͜͝ĘD͟͠ ̛͜I A͢M̀.**

His excitement crashed into a halt as he watched as the light that outlined the true angelic form of Alisandra morph into a red malevolent incomprehensibly gigantic being. Its grin was wide and unnerving.

**T́͠H̵̕A͝N͏̀͟K͞ ͢͡Y̕O͡U҉͟,͢ ҉͢D̢͘ȨA͏̸R̀͝ H̶́Ę̕͞A̧R̕T̨͘.**

The being's wings unfurled and the force of the winds produced cleared away the light to reveal a dragon that didn't even resemble Alisandra. Instead, it looked like a chimera dragon that combined parts of the four last Kingmakers whose Kingsbond fragments were collected over the past year.

It roared in triumph. The flames it produced from that roar were tinged with darkness. Doloran quickly shielded himself as the flames threatened to overwhelm him.

"What is this trickery?!" he cried out as he struggled to maintain his shield as long as he can. "You are not my Alisa!"

**O̧H̴͜͏ ̡̡B̷͠U͞Ţ ͝͠I̴̢ ҉͘A̶͞M͏͢͞.͠ ͞Ì͏ ̢͠͡A̡̡M͏͢ ͢H̴̶̢ĘR ̴TŔ̡͜ŲE ̕̕S̴͜E̡͠͞L͡F U̧͝Ǹ͏L͡͏E͝Á̡S̶҉̡H̛ED͏͟͠.͝**

"W-what?!"

**͢͢͠I̢̡ ͠A̷͞M ͝҉̶P̀͘҉O͠͏W̕E̶͏͝R̡.̷͜͡ ́I ͘͢͞A҉́M ͠D͞É͢S̀T̛͟͝R̴̛UC̵̢Ţ͠I̛O͟N̵.̶͢͝ ͘͞I̸͜͢ ̸AM̢̀ ҉C̴̕Ḩ̵̛A̵̕͜O̵̢S̛. ͟͢I̴ ̢Á͏̸M͟ ̸T̢H̨É͡ ̶WI̶N͢͝N̨͏O̴W͡E͟R̵͡'̢͠S͠҉ ͏̴͡H͜Ę̴͢R̀͜A͘͡͏L̷D͏.͝**

The monster raised its claws and dug into the sky itself. It pulled until the sky began to crack. With a quick swipe, the cracks grew bigger before shattering. The rifts revealed a void with swirling dark colors.

It looked down at Doloran.

**҉̶MY ̴L̢͘͏O̶̧̕V͡E̵͞,͢ ̸̡Y̵ÒU͘R̶ L͟͝I͠F̸E͡ ̡S̛P̡͡͡A̧͝RÈ̷Ḑ ҉͘Ş͢͝H̷̡A͠Ļ̴͜L͜ ́͟B̛͞E̷ _Ḿ̷Y͜͠_ ̢̡R͟͞ȨW͡A̶͝RD̀.͏͠**

It flew off into the void. Doloran numbly watched it go.

"But...If she is truly lost...then what will become of Allegoria?"

He hunched into himself and drifted to the ground in despair, "What will become...of me...?"

He vaguely registered the feeling of gently landing on solid marble. He heard footsteps and instinctively knew who it was.

Roland watched him in concern and Doloran found that he was no longer blocked from their link. The force of Alisandra(?) unleashed must've ripped the shields into shreds and momentarily knocked him out judging from the large cut on his forehead.

"That...that wasn't her?" he asked hesitantly, as if he was hoping for some sort of a positive outcome in this mess.

 _"One of us should get a happy ending..."_ came a stray thought from the link. It was proof that despite Roland's denial, he did sympathize. He did, deep down, recognize their connection.

Not that it matters anymore.

"It wasn't," confirmed Leander, "I still sense the same dark power as before. I fear it is merely the Horned One unleashed. Which begs the question: Where is Alisandra?"

Lofty stared at the void, frowning as if he was remembering something.

"Never mind that ye addlebrained swabs!" interrupted Batu, "What about that there tear in the very skies themselves?!" He waved an arm towards the sky where it appeared to widen.

There was distant shouting as the nearby collective army voiced its opinions on this new development. Doloran and Roland seem to twitch as they registered the noise.

"Did you guys see how the edges are crumbling?" added Bracken, "If we can't close it up somehow, the whole world would be sucked inside just like Allegoria!"

"I didn't want this to happen..." despaired Doloran, "I wanted...all I wanted..."

_"I don't want to be alone anymore."_

Roland, startled, looked back at Doloran. The sorcerer didn't notice as he trembled in sorrow while looking up at the rift in the sky.

Tani, meanwhile, turned to Lofty, "Do you think you can get us up there, Lofty?"

"What are you sayin', mun?" huffed Lofty indignantly, "'Course I flippin' can!"

He, in turn, looked up at Evan, "Come on, Evan! Let's get up there and give old Horny Gal a piece of ouer minds!"

Evan summoned Mornstar from his arms band in response and stared at it. He had hoped that he wouldn't ultimately need it. That he could somehow convince Doloran to rethink his actions and not follow through. But he hadn't planned on Leander's curiosity in an effort to stall for time, the reveal of Doloran's connection to Roland, nor the effects of the Horned One on Roland until he couldn't take it anymore and provoked his other self (which, as Evan thought about it, was probably part of a back-up plan from the Horned One itself).

"Well..." he said at last, "we did go through all the trouble to restore Mornstar..."

"Mornstar?" Doloran was surprised to hear of that name again. He hadn't seen it in two thousand years...There was rumors of its reemergence eight hundred years ago, yes, but he hadn't heard anything of it since.

The sword in the boy's hand mostly resembled what Mornstar used to be but with more personal touches reflecting its current user.

He sighed, "Alisandra and I swore our pact over this very sword so long ago."

His Kingsbond thrummed slightly as it weakly resonated with the sword. He no longer had a major claim to it but he could wield it only if Evan allows him to.

He wondered if Roland could wield the sword as well.

He dismissed the thought away. Now is not the time to test it.

"Huh," said Roland, oblivious to Doloran's musings, "That could explain why it is the only thing that can penetrate the Horned One's defenses."

"I suppose so..." said Doloran as he felt the despondent thoughts rise again.

He absently watched as another piece of the sky crumbled and winced. The others were making conversation as they prepared themselves for battle. The minor ache on Doloran's forehead went away as the wound on Roland was healed.

"Alrighty!" cheered Lofty, "here I go!"

There was a flash of light and Doloran turned and found that the small Kingmaker had become a dragon that was many times bigger.

 **All aboard!** announced Lofty and Doloran found himself wondering how the Kingmaker was able to telepathically communicate beyond his chosen King.

"Alright, everyone!" said Evan as he looked up at Lofty with determination. Lofty obediently lowered his head as Evan climbed on, "It's time to defeat the Horned One and restore peace to our world!"

The others started to climb on. Roland was about to but stopped. He looked back at Doloran and stared at him for a moment.

"What's wrong?" "Oi, lad, hurry up!"

"Hang on, everyone," Roland called back before walking over to Doloran.

"What is it?" said Doloran.

"You should come with us," declared the Chief Consul loudly for the others to hear.

"What?" replied the confused sorcerer king.

"Are ye mad, Roland?" called Batu.

"If you really cared about Alisandra," lectured Roland, "if you really want to free her...then help us fight the Horned One."

"I..."

"It probably wont be enough to redeem yourself to the entire world," added Roland, "but my grandfather once told me that one should clean up their messes, no matter how big."

That...that actually sounded familiar. But it was so long since Doloran had last heard it, he wasn't sure who said that to him.

But could he do it? Could he lay a hand on the being that once was his beloved?

**You flippin' comin' or not, mun?**

"It wouldn't hurt to have another fighter with us," encouraged Roland as he held out a hand.

He owed it to his kingdom, his people, to do right. To show to the gods that he is willing to repent for his sin.

Doloran took the hand and Roland helped lift him up onto Lofty's head.

"Now, come on," said Roland, determined, "let's save the world. _Our_ world."

* * *

Khunbish: Holy crap the sky broke.

Pilo: Alright, who gone and said 'how can this get worse?' and jinxed us?

Khunbish: You just did, mate.

Pilo: ...Well, shit.

Ginny: Y'know what? I'm gonna go take a nap.

Ginny: Hopefully the world will stop ending by the time I wake up.

* * *

The void was vast and unforgiving. There was no heat but there was no cold either. Time was meaningless. There was no other noise other than the sound of everyone's breathing and the rustling of hair and clothing against the wind.

They merely existed.

"What's that up ahead?" pointed Tani.

Objects came into view and as Lofty navigated around them, the party realized what they were.

They were flying through the true ruins of Allegoria. Doloran whimpered as he mournfully viewed the remains of his kingdom.

Strangely, there were no corpses anywhere.

No one wanted to think about what could've happened to the Allegorians long ago.

**GR̷̛E̶Ȩ͏͘T͞I̶̴͟N̷͠G̴͟S̵̢̨.̶̡͞**

An indescribably loud voice passed through everyone's minds with the force of a speeding bus (how did Doloran and Roland manage to endure this for as long as they could?). It was Lofty's only warning to dodge out of the way as a red blast of energy surged past the path he was flying through a moment ago. The Horned One came into view.

**W͢H҉҉̧A̧T ́҉͟A̵͢͝R̷͠E͢ ̸̛̀Y̸O͟͠͏U̶͝ ̕̕D̶OI̛N͘̕͞G͢ HE̸R̷̨͟Ę,̸͟ ̵͝Y҉̀͢OU̸͘N͢͜͝G͏̵ ̧O̕͘N̵̵̵Ȩ̵?͢͜**

**I'm here to flippin' stop you, abomination.**

There was an awful noise and Doloran and Roland, to their horror, recognized the emotion through the Kingsbond.

The Horned One was laughing.

**͘͜L͢ȨT'͜͞͝S͡͠ ̵͟͠Ś͘͜E͟È̛ ̴̷Ỳ̛͢O̴̴Ú͏ T̶Ŗ̧͜Y̸͏,̨ ͢͏T̷̨H̵͡E̵͢N̡͠.**

It fired blast after blast. Lofty frantically dodged them, using large fragments of buildings as cover while doing so.

Unfortunately, his luck ran out and the resulting blast knocked his riders off of him.

**No!**

He turned around and went after his King. He watched as Doloran, backed up by Leander, formed a shield that covered everyone as they fell. He dove to reach them, unable to resist the instinctual need to protect Evan from harm.

The Horned One took advantage of this distraction and fired again. The blast this time was stronger and hit Lofty closer to his head.

* * *

"Lofty!" someone was shouting, "Wake up, Lofty!"

"Ugh," groaned Lofty. Who was being so loud? He's trying to flipping sleep here!

 _Lofty!_ someone said through the Kingsbond. Kingsbond? Since when did his world start to do that?

There was a mewl of frustration, _I will get Doloran to kiss you awake if you don't get up!_ Who the flip is - wait. He remembered now...!

Evan! Oh flip!

Lofty's eyes snapped open and he sat up in a panic, "Is everyone alright?!"

"We are, thank goodness," replied Evan, relieved to see Lofty conscious again.

"Doloran kept us close together," he added, "So no one would be lost forever."

"That's nice of Dolly-boy," commented Lofty.

"Dolly-boy?!" he heard Doloran yelp indignantly nearby.

"You'll get used to it," said a resigned Roland.

Lofty looked around. Through some great stroke of luck, the party managed to land on a sizable chunk of land. Surrounding them was broken columns. In the distance was a shrine of some sort.

"How did we get here?" he asked. Evan shrugged.

"Felt like we were falling forever," said Tani, "sure is lucky we landed here in one piece."

**YE̸̛S̷̨҉. ̛́͘H͏͢O҉̢͏W ́L̷̡U͜C̷̢K͢Y̕ F̡͏O̸͘͞R̛͢ ̢͡YOU͘.̶҉**

They all watched in horror as the Horned One descended to them.

̢͏ **D҉̸̢EA͜Ŕ ̧HÉ̴͜A̷̴RT̶̸, ̕͟͠YO̡Ų͟͢ ͞B̕͏R̵ƠƯ̵G̷͞H̨͡T ̶̧M͘E̡̕ FO̷̵̧L͠L͟͟͞O̧W̸È̢͞R̷͜͡S̡͏.͏͡**

It tilted its head.

**҉OR̸ ̶D͟͡I̕D̵ YO̢̧U͏̸̸ ̡̀͘B̧͠͝R̶I͟N͘͠G̴̢ ͠M͞E̡ ̴SÀ͜C͢R̨I͟FIC̛ES̡̀?**

"Neither," said Roland.

"We came to stop you," added Evan as he summoned Mornstar, "for the sake of the world."

**Ỳ̸̶ÓÙ ̵T́ÒO̕,̴͝͠ MY̨ L̨̛͘O͏V̡͟È?̶̡**

"Yes."

**̶͘T̨H̸E͜N͏ ͡BRI̶͞N҉G͢ ͏̀҉I͢T͝ ҉ƠN͜͡.̵̸͠**

It started the battle by forming an orb of darkness in each clawed hand. It flung one orb at the group and everyone scattered to avoid it.

Various spells were cast towards it in response. The Kingmaker seemed unimpressed by whoever sent a dark spell. It flung the other orb at the offender, who turned out to be Leander, in response. The former Archon teleported to Roland's position, knowing it will be reluctant to truly hit him or Doloran.

The Horned One growled before it attempted to swipe at someone with its spiky tail. It managed to nick Bracken on the leg and she hissed in pain. She pulled out a few soreaway leaves and began to chew on them, not wanting to waste a vial on a minor cut.

She immediately ducked to avoid a clawed hand made of dark magic that acted like a whip. Doloran had used that earlier, she noted. Only he was more precise about it.

She fired bullets infused with light at the monster only to watch in frustration as it teleported out of the way.

"Listen, everyone," flailed Lofty, "to truly defeat it, we need to charge up Mornstar to its full power."

**G̶͜͜OO͏D̵̛́ ̵̨L̷U̡̨C͝K͟ W͏IT̨̨͠H͠ ̢T͢͢H̶A̴T.̧́**

The Horned One appeared behind Lofty, who squealed in shock before running away. The Horned One chuckled, amused. It stopped when Doloran desperately formed a rune with his staff which in turn produced an arrow made of light. He muttered an apology before releasing the arrow.

He flinched as a wave of confusion and rage flooded the Kingsbond, signaling that the spell had hit its target.

The Horned One rose above the battlefield, raised its fist over its head, and flipped over so it was facing the combatants.

"Get out of the bloomin' way!" shouted Batu and while they got out of the targeted area as the Horned One punched the ground, some were knocked over by the resulting shock wave.

The Horned One then glowed. A symbol depicting Longfang appeared for a moment before vanishing.

"What was that?" asked Tani.

"She's switching attributes," declared Doloran, "She is only partially integrated with the Kingmakers I had acquired." The stone ground began to turn red from heat, "Therefore, she can't fully access all of their abilities."

The Horned One took a deep breath as large rocks fell onto the ground. Batu and Roland immediately rushed over to smash them. The resulting release of fire from the Horned One was less hotter than it could've been.

The sigil for Brineskimmer signaled a new change in tactics. The ground began to cool and Bracken and Doloran yelped as they avoided a sudden stream of icy water.

Bastion lead to a wave of electricity which had no effect on Tani as it crashed into her. Oakenhart signaled columns of vines that caught Leander and flung him against rubble where he laid daze for a few minutes.

The only difference in this battle was that no Higmakers were produced to assist them. The party's usual band of Higgledies refused to go into the void and no one could blame them.

The party was slowing down but the Horned One wasn't.

͠ **Ý̵O̡͏̀Ú̷ ҉̀ḨAV̴̢E̢̕͡ ̸͠͡F̸̷Ǫ͠U͢ĢHT͟͠ ̵W͘͠͝E̢͢L͝L ̷̧͠B̨U̶T̷̨ ͜͠I̧͏̶T ҉WÒ҉NT̴̢ ͡B͞E̛ ̨͏E͝N̢O̸̢͘UG҉H̛.͢ ̧Y̴̕O̵U̴ CA͟N͠N̸OT͠ ́ST͞O͡P T̵̡H̶E̵̸̛ ̕I͏͠N͜͡EV̸̶͜Í̢Ţ͞A̧͝B͏̨͝L͢E.҉**

"Oh yes we flippin' can!" growled Lofty suddenly. Doloran realized he hadn't seen the Kingmaker nor King Evan in a while. In that moment, he could see why.

The little Kingmaker was glowing with the golden color of his Kingsbond. Young Evan stepped forward, teeth barred and tail swishing, as all the power of Lofty poured into him and Mornstar.

Strengthened by the combined power of King and Kingmaker, Mornstar shined with an ethereal light.

**W͞͏H̶̡À͢T̡͘ ̡I͜S̷͝ ͜͝͡TḨ̶́IS͡?̷҉͏**

The Horned One stepped back, as if repelled.

"For Evermore," began Evan, his blond hair whipping about around his head from an unseen wind, "for the lost people of Allegoria, for the world. I release you from your torment, Alisandra."

**̨NÒ̵͟.̨ ͞S̨̕TA̕Y͟ ̷B̴̕A͢͝C̨͜͡K̷.̴̀**

**...do...it...**

The boy leaped high into the air, sword raised as he demonstrated a show of strength normally unachievable by someone of his age. A preview of what is to come someday.

With a yell that wavered between human and grimalkin, Evan swung the sword and a wave of energy enveloped the Horned One. It screamed as cracks appeared on its body and the purifying magic from Mornstar sunk in.

There was one last scream and the world went blank.

* * *

Evan came back to himself, wondering who just now said "Thank you." He vaguely recalled a woman in white. Was...was that Alisandra?

He looked around and saw grass and flowers growing around ancient ruins and rubble. The sky above was blue and unbroken as if there wasn't a rift leading to another dimension just now. He could see the strange temple-like structure up ahead was now covered in moss. Was that the original King's Cradle?

A quick check showed that everyone was accounted for. Higgledies ran up and squeaked as they scanned for injuries. Mostly everyone was looking around, confirming that yes, they succeeded. Roland meanwhile had an odd look on his face. It was a mixture of confusion, relief and grief. What upset him?

Evan then heard a strange noise, as if somebody was repressing a sob. He turned and stopped in his tracks.

Doloran had fallen down to his knees, his snake headdress and the gold face paint gone, hand stretched out as he had tried to grab hold of someone or something.

"She...she's gone," he choked out. "She's free but she...passed on."

Kingmakers can do that? Evan repressed the urge to ask and instead focused on how Doloran's skin had returned to a healthy tone and how his watering eyes were brown. Without the taint of the Horned One infecting the Allegorian king, Evan can definitely see the resemblance between Doloran and Roland. The only way to tell them apart, outside of clothing, is by their hair and voice.

"Allegoria will not rise again," Doloran continued, "All that I have loved is lost."

Everything he had done was ultimately for nothing.

"Roland," he called out, "tell me, what great wrong did I do to deserve this? Was surrendering to love an error? Or was it accepting a crown I wasn't worthy of too soon?"

Roland walked over to his double and knelt down beside him, "You did no wrong," he said gently as he helped Doloran stand, "You did what you could do to keep your love for Alisandra alive and to save your country..."

"And..." he looked down at the ground, "that's just life. People do as much as they can to live the best way possible. But...then the tide of history comes and sweeps them all away."

"My country was swept away too," he confessed. No one else spoke. Roland rarely spoke of what had happened in his world. He balked away at confronting the grief he had felt and instead shoved it down until occasionally it burst out.

"I tried to stop it," he added, "For seven years I tried to help hold back the inevitable. Once I became President, I worked hard to prevent the tide of war that would end it all. But in the end..." Roland shook his head, "it rolled in."

A memory crept in through the link.

 **[** A woman who resembled _her_ cupped Roland's face in her hands.

"My dear heart," she said, "you've been working too hard. Your birthday is almost here."

"I know," sighed Roland tiredly, "but if this treaty goes through..."

"Tell you what," said Melissa, "once its all over, we can celebrate your birthday in Yorkton as a family. God knows you need to relax."

Roland smiled, "You know, that doesn't sound like a bad idea." **]**

"And everything I knew and loved was lost to me."

 **[** He bit back a scream as he was flung around in the backseat while the car flipped over and over. The heat of the missile had gotten into the car so on top breaking bones and being inflicted deep gashes and bruises, it felt as though his insides were boiling.

And then finally it stopped and he laid helplessly broken on the ground. He then realized how badly he had failed. He was 48 years old and he was going to die along with his country.

But then he didn't. **]**

"I found myself in a strange new world and had to fight my way out to protect a boy king I just met. Once we were safe and I gathered as much information as I could, I gave up trying to find a way to go back. What was the point if there is none?" Roland shook his head, "But you...you never gave up. You fought against the tide as best as you could. I wish...I was strong enough to be like you..."

"And what did that do for me?" Doloran shot back bitterly, "I almost caused the apocalypse and it was all for nothing."

"Um, I have an idea," Evan interrupted, "why don't we make a new Allegoria?"

Everyone turned to stare at the boy king incredulously.

"Huh?" said Roland intelligently.

"What are ye bloomin' tryin' to pull now, lad?" added Batu.

"This is highly irregular, Your Majesty," said Leander.

Doloran blinked, "A...what?"

Evan doubled down, "If it can't be brought back, I mean. We can build a new one instead."

"A...new...one?" Doloran repeated as feelings he can't identify welled up to the surface.

"We did it," Evan nodded to Roland, "we built a new kingdom from nothing. A kingdom where everyone can live happily ever after. Yes, it was small at first. But it grew and grew until it can be considered a great nation like the others. All thanks to its wonderful people. You can do the same too, Doloran."

"You truly think this is possible?" asked Doloran.

"Maybe..." started Roland, "maybe this is why I was brought here."

"How so?" prompted his other self.

"The kingdom Evan and I built together, it didn't just change the world. It changed things for you, too. Nobody needs to be a slave to the past anymore. We can look to the future."

_"Maybe...maybe, in the end, moving on is what she wanted you to do..."_

Doloran huffed out a broken laugh, "Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum...you are yet young...but you have the wisdom of someone much older. You make a great king indeed."

"You...you really think so?" Evan asked. The other king nodded.

Suddenly, Doloran found his resolve. "I will start afresh. I will build a new kingdom. For the sake of my departed subjects and for my beloved..."

Evan smiled, "Hear, hear!" A flicker of light then caught his attention.

They all looked up and saw a stream of ghostly light emerging from the ruins of Allegoria.

Doloran understood what it was.

"My people are free from their torment," he announced, "they too can move forward. Just like I will..."

"Um, yeah," said President Zip Vector's voice, "you might want to lay low for awhile first..."

They all turned and found the other four rulers and the top generals of the five kingdoms standing nearby. They had been watching as Doloran was directed to making better life choices this whole time.

Bai Gon, Mausinger, a Grimalkin in Evermoran armor, Ya Pi and Captain Buck were looking back and forth between Doloran and Roland in great confusion. Yo Ho Ho carefully hid back a grin.

The robot general Zip was riding on scanned the two men.

"SCAN COMPLETE. ANALYZING DATA."

"Um," said Roland.

"...Yeah," shrugged Bracken, "they just do that."

"ANALYZING COMPLETE. DATA SHOWS THAT BOTH SUBJECTS NEARLY SHARE THE SAME GENETIC CODE. HYPOTHESIS: FRATERNAL TWINS."

"What does your database say on soul mates?" asked Bracken.

"YOUR SQUISHY NONSENSE DOES NOT COMPUTE."

"Soul mates? We're including another fairy tale into this mess now?" huffed Master Pugnacious.

"Should we prepare ourselves on more of those becoming a reality?" snarked King Mausinger.

"Why are you here?" asked Leander.

"We had came to check on you," answered Queen Nerea, "The Horned One flew into a crack in the sky, your Kingmaker went after it, and we didn't know if you succeeded until the land suddenly purified itself."

"And then we found you guys hanging out with the Chief Consul's evil twin," added Zip, "I mean, what are the odds of that?"

"THE ODDS ARE - "

"It's a rhetorical question, general!"

"Anyways," continued Mausinger, "President Vector is correct. If you are going to start over _legitimately_ , you may want to lay low for a while until the angry mobs find something else to turn their wrath at."

"...Of course," said Doloran.

* * *

[MEANWHILE]

Vermine moaned as he returned to the mortal world. He felt...awful. Like he had gone stiff for a while. And why does he feel so ravenous?

"Ah, so you have finally awakened," said a voice. Vermine sat up and turned to see that wretched mage Ratasha standing behind bars.

Oh, they're in the dungeons. Finally, they're punishing her for her insubordination.

...Wait a minute. Is that the entrance to the dungeons behind her? He looked down and saw he's sitting on a cot. Made for the prisoners.

"What is the meaning of this?!" he demanded.

"Chancellor Vermine...or should I say _former_ Chancellor Vermine," said Ratasha calmly, "you have been charged with treason for your actions against the Crown, use of highly illegal magic, and theft of historical artifacts that your family line has no claim to. What do you plead?"

"Not guilty," sneered Vermine as he snapped his fingers.

Nothing happened.

He frowned and snapped his fingers again.

Why...why isn't the trip door spell working?

Trying to ease the feeling of panic, he tried to summon his wand but it didn't appear. In fact, he can't feel the familiar weight of his arms band at all.

"We took great precautions with you, Vermine," smirked Ratasha, "namely, the removal of your arms band, any hidden weaponry and poisons on your person, and applying a permanent nixing curse."

"You did what?!"

She grinned harshly, "You are going to face the consequences, you little shit. Enjoy the rest of your life while you still can."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Fun fact, if you talk to Roland in the throne room in the end game, one of his lines is the 'lets save our world' line which shows how he's gone completely native at this point. I loved that line and wanted to add it in but the original scene I had planned for mutated into its current form because there was some pre-final battle cutscenes I somehow had no memory of and I am stuck with fixing things to answer my own questions.
> 
> Like, how did they all manage to land on that one particular rock after getting knocked off of Lofty in the void? That was super convenient. :O
> 
> I threw Doloran into the final battle because they...just left him there. When there's five angry armies hanging around outside. And like, my Roland muse decided that his soul mate should help fix this mess and dragged him in.
> 
> ...And then he barely did any fighting. orz Again, I don't have much practice with fight scenes despite writing fanfiction for the past sixteen years. I'm more of a comedy/short story writer.
> 
> If Roland seems slightly off in this chapter, keep in mind he's had to deal with a corrupted kingmaker in his head, his soul mate in his head, the true kingmaker trying to talk to him, and now he's most likely experiencing what losing a Kingsbond probably feels like, however vestigial his end was. It's been one long day. He needs a nap.
> 
> In case you're wondering why I skipped Alisandra and Doloran's good-bye, its because I was in Evan's POV and thus he never saw that. *shrugs*
> 
> In other news, this is the last of the text formatting shenanigans I needed to pull with the Horned One. I'm freeeeeeeee.
> 
> And yes, Vermine's here because he needs to get his comeuppance outside of getting his soul yoinked.
> 
> Next up: Its not over yet


	41. Entry 38 - Immediate Consequences

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Alternate title for this chapter: Roland Finally Takes A Proper Nap

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This was originally a strange mishmash of scenes until I rewrote it. I guess it looks better.
> 
> I had updated chapters 4, 6, 10, 11, 14, 26, and 28. Some of it is fixing minor mistakes and a couple chapters got extended a bit. Just...wanted to give you guys the heads up. Also it might take a few hours for it all to show up.

LB_Moderator: This just in: The Horned One has been defeated, the sky isn't falling, and millions of people around the world are collectively waking up from comas.

Cassandra: My dear Eric has returned to me!

Arty: Congrats!

Julius: I just woke up and convinced the healer to give me my viewer. I just...what in the world did I miss? The Horned What? The sky did what?

Arty: It's a loooong story.

* * *

Day 342/February 26, 20XX

Roland, by the time the group was escorted over to the first aid tents, looked incredibly exhausted and had alarmed the healers along some mages and priestesses who volunteered themselves once the battle was over. They couldn't help but notice that he was showing signs of a severed Kingsbond. Which was odd, considering the Chief Consul never mentioned having a Kingsbond before.

"How long have you had one?" a Dellian mage asked as he scanned Roland with specialized scrying magic, which made the man flinch at the new magical intrusion into his very being, which was something all the healers had noticed. The remnants of the bond looked...old.

"I..." Roland had to think it over, "I think my whole life? Since I was born, I suppose." He tiredly shrugged.

"That's not possible, sir," said a Goldpaw astrologer, "Kingmakers cannot form a bond if the partner is younger than six years old."

"I just literally found out I had one a few..." Roland glanced at Batu who in turn shook his head helplessly, "a few hours ago. I don't know how this happened either."

"Um, excuse me," Evan butted in, "What are the symptoms of a severed Kingsbond?" He nervously glanced at Roland and then to a space near Leander.

"It's been mostly mild with King Mausinger," said another Dellian mage who wiggled her mouse nose in thought, "since he only had it for nearly eleven months. But Mr. Crane will be finding special battle skills and any spells he knows of becoming weaker now that he doesn't have a Kingmaker to provide additional power. He will also feel a bit melancholic for a few days. It's always reported that the...patient will also feel lonely and 'empty' for awhile. I suggest you keep watch of him until he fully recovers."

"The longer one has it, the worse it becomes depending on what lead up to the severing," added a Hydropolitan priestess, her tone suggesting she was leaving out a hint.

Leander had caught it and made a face, "...Excuse me." He left the tent in surprising haste.

"I can't help but notice your sibling over there, Mr. Crane," the first Dellian mage pointed to Doloran who was surprised that his redirect spell had failed, "By the gods, he looks worse. We may need to cauterize the remnants if he truly hopes to recover."

"Ye can do that?" Batu spoke up, surprised.

"It's normally reserved for the longer serving rulers such as Queen Nerea. But she and other three...victims chose to not do so. They all claimed they feel as though they are still connected."

"But its all I have left of her," Doloran feebly argued before slumping in despair, "now that she's passed on..."

"It would be an insult to her memory if you keep clinging to it," lectured the second mage.

"Actually," interrupted Roland, as he started to sway a little as he felt a wave of exhaustion now that he wasn't powering through with adrenaline, "can we do this later? It's been a ridiculously long day."

"Crikey, mun," said Lofty, "I'm still flippin' surprised you can still flippin' stand after all you've been through today." Doloran, at this, winced in guilt.

"I needed to see it to the end," shrugged the tired man as he was led to a cot. He was asleep by the time his head touched a pillow.

"...Wait," said a healer, "A Kingmaker has passed on? Which one?"

"Um...well..." began Evan nervously as Batu and Bracken maneuvered Doloran behind them.

* * *

[Meanwhile on a certain private board]

Fred: Hey guys, check this out. Just saw this passing by the first aid tents

Fred: (Picture of what appears to be a very tired and bruised Roland Crane and...a white haired version of him dressed in classical Allegorian robes who has some scrapes on him standing near by)

Fred: Just...what.

Ginny: Who is that?

Fran Nee: ...He has a brother now?

Tiffany: Why is he dressed like he stepped out of a history textbook on ancient civilizations?

Ginny: Didn't one of the mods say he traveled through time?

Fran Nee: ...Which one though?

Tiffany: Strange, I've heard that Roland was a refugee from some other country.

Di Di: Starting to look like a combination of both.

Di Di: But where did the other one come from?

Fred: Maybe the Horned One was holding him hostage this whole time and Roland was looking for a way to rescue his long lost twin brother?

* * *

Bracken stared at her viewer while watching Roland and Doloran sleep in a portioned off section of a first aid tent. The healers were convinced by Lofty to put off the cauterization thing (which was news to everyone except Leander because it wasn't common knowledge that such a procedure existed) for another day to allow 'proper mourning' and to give 'Rolly-boy a break after so many flippin' psychic and spiritual knocks to the head.' The mages and healers were alarmed by this pronouncement and demanded to make sure he rests as a long as he can. Which meant Roland was allowed to have a smaller workload. No doubt it would cause him to complain when he is told of this when he wakes up.

...Maybe bringing the Allegorian along with them to the first aid stations instead directly trip door traveling to Evermore immediately wasn't the best plan. People have noticed Doloran's presence. You would have to be blind magically and physically to not see the similarity he has with Roland.

"Well...shit," she said quietly. How were any of them going to explain this? Well, here it goes...

[ Bracken: We're also weirded out by this.

Bracken: Also, can you guys not say anything until we make an official statement?

Tiffany: When's that happening?

Bracken: When those two are ready. ]

Hopefully that bought enough time...

Her Viewer flashed a red light indicating new messages.

[ Cherry: What a thing to wake up to.

Linda: Okay, new poll: Which one is hotter?

Di Di: We're going to do this now?! ]

Bracken tiredly broke down into giggles that evolved into laughter. In consequence, this summoned several alarmed healers.

* * *

_"Roland Crane," boomed a voice as he wandered through an unfamiliar corridor._

_Roland paused in his tracks._

_"Come here," ordered the voice._

_Roland turned around and went the other way, "Oh no, I'm not doing this again."_

_"I told you this was too soon," scolded another voice._

_Roland walked even faster._

* * *

Day 343/February 27, 20XX

Roland woke up in an unfamiliar room in Evermore Castle the next day around noon to the sounds of fireworks and cheers. He looked around and spotted Batu sitting in a chair between him and another bed that was unoccupied. Lofty was sitting on that bed and staring at a nearby door with a frown.

"Welcome back to the world of the livin', lad," said Batu.

"Where are we?" asked Roland as he slowly propped himself up.

"Hospital quarters," explained Batu, "We figured ye'd rather wake up somewhere with healers who are familiar with ye."

"Where is everyone?"

"Bracken and Tani are out enjoyin' the party out in the town square. Evan and Leander had gone to meet up with the other kings about somethin'. Lover Boy is discoverin' modern plumbin'," Batu frowned, "or he is probably tryin' to drown himself."

"I am most certainly not," said a white haired man who shared Roland's face as he entered the room through the door Lofty was watching. He was missing the armor layer of his robes. It seemed odd to see the man without the frame that held up his headdress (what happened to it anyway?).

"About flippin' time, mun," Lofty rolled his eyes.

"Perhaps," deadpanned Doloran, "I wanted to sob over my misfortunes in private so I did it as I bathed."

Roland leaned back on the pillows as he brushed bangs away from his eyes, "So it wasn't a dream..." Part of him really wanted it to be. What sort of dream would leave his head aching like this?

The revelation thrown at him had cleared away the bizarre feeling of familiarity he had towards the other man in their previous confrontations. He couldn't deny the answer he was given. Not when it felt...right.

"Afraid not, lad," said Batu, "Congrats on rescuin' yer long lost twin, by the way."

"What?!" chorused the two lookalikes.

"Who the flip would fall for that?" spluttered Lofty.

"Well," defended Batu, "that's what the rumors say. Fer now we're not confirmin' anythin'."

"Fantastic," sighed both men in unison.

"Please flippin' stop that," groaned Lofty.

* * *

Day 345/March 1, 20XX

For three days, there was celebrations happening around the world. The Horned One was no more and most of the souls stolen have returned home. Even in the most remote village with no interaction with the outside world, there was celebration. The gods had decided to change their minds and spared them all from a living death. Who wouldn't want to cautiously celebrate the gods' mercy?

On the second day, the five rulers of the five great nations gathered at the balcony of Evermore castle. All of them were in more formal clothing. They waved at the cheering crowds as airships, birdmobiles, and Rumple riding on Flappy filled the skies.

"People of the world," started King Evan as he raised Mornstar, secretly grateful that his new crown fit him better this time around, "we have gathered before you today to make a solemn oath in the presence of all our peoples."

He pulled back Mornstar and raised it again as all five rulers raised their symbols of kingship and at once they shouted in unison, "United we stand! As one single land!"

The crowds below cheered even harder.

In this particular celebration Evermore was hosting, the sky pirates waited until the five kings retreated back into the throne room before the pirates began to improvise an air show. All watched as their birdmobiles flew in formation and performing stunts that showed how familiar they are with their planes.

Down below in the square, a man dressed in light purple robes and a darker-colored veil that covered up most of his features scoffed at this.

"How irresponsible of them," he grumbled.

"I wouldn't worry about it, Doloran," said the Chief Consul next to him quietly, who had chosen today to wear his black formal coat, "they have proven that they know what they're doing many times before."

Even though Doloran had vowed to start over, there was the issue of having no place to go before he could begin. The dimension the false Allegoria was in ceased to exist now that the source powering it was no more. The four rulers he had 'acquainted' himself with were feeling uneasy about hosting him in their country. Nerea's reasons were more understandable considering the spell keeping Hydropolis was due to wear off any day now. She was more concerned in finding a suitable place to rebuild her nation and encouraging her subjects to see the world. The less people present when the volcano at last erupts, the better.

It was unsurprising that, in the end, Evan invited Doloran into his kingdom. There was people who wanted to make a new start for themselves for various reasons, so why not a two millennia old sorcerer king who may have accidentally nearly ended the world?

Everyone who was aware of the repentant former king true connection to the Chief Consul figured Evan was going to do it anyway.

Doloran had ultimately turned down an apartment suite in the castle and instead settled in the residential district. His house, while small, was a mixture of modern furniture and a small number of artifacts he, Batu, and Leander secretly recovered from the ruins of Allegoria. A good majority of items found in the ruins were well preserved despite exposure to the void-like dimension they were in for two thousand years. Doloran planned to retrieve more once the festivities died down.

For now, he was doing his best blending in.

"They...do seem well synchronized," Doloran eventually offered awkwardly. Roland snorted in response. What kind of compliment was that?

"They sure do," agreed an amused Roland.

* * *

_"We need to speak with you, Roland Crane."_

_"Let's do this some other time," Roland went back the other way._

_"We will hold you to that."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I told you guys he needed a nap.
> 
> I have no idea why six years old is the minimum age for a Kingsbond but it kinda makes sense since Evan was ten when he obtained his Kingsbond, which is still pretty young. Personally, having a king younger than eight sounds like a bad idea what with all the wars that happened in this world's history but, then again, our world's history has at least a few kings who ascended to the throne at like age three.
> 
> Again, cutting off a Kingsbond in any fashion is going to have consequences for the King (besides an angry rampaging dragon in your kingdom). If not physically/magically, then emotionally as well since I've established that both parties can communicate with each other and the Kingmaker is present in some way in the back of your mind. It's like losing a part of yourself, even if you aren't aware of it like Roland had been. In Mausinger's case, he hasn't been king long enough to fully experience it but it didn't help when he got dropped into an emotional roller coaster ride of a different sort.
> 
> I wouldn't be surprised if Evan did spontaneously decide to invite Doloran into Evermore. He did it with Tyran and some bandit tribes so he has a history of inviting dangerous people. A guy who almost destroyed the world? Sure why not. Where else was he supposed to go?
> 
> Originally this chapter was longer but I had split into two when I was rewriting it for thematic reasons...and now its looking to be three. This story really doesn't want to let me go orz


	42. Entry 39 - Beyond the happy ending

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The final chapter count keeps changing on me. Is it 45? 47? 50? We just don't know orz
> 
> Also, what citizen role would you give Doloran in Evermore besides being one of the king's ministers? A historian? A court mage who has the power to back it up? Send him off to the mines?
> 
> (There may be another chapter later today. Depends how well I beat back the writer's block to finish it.)

Day 347/March 3, 20XX

By the fifth day, celebrations had died down and everyone became somber as mass memorials were held. During the Horned One's reign of terror, some people had died because they were doing a task that required them to be alert when their soul was forcibly recruited into the Horned One's ranks. Many soldiers who were in the final battle never returned home.

And some did return home but were rendered disfigured in some way.

"It's kind of weird," said Gene as he twisted around to look at the spot where his tail was once been, "sometimes it feels like it's still there and moving around."

"That sounds horrible," opined Tiffany.

"Unfortunately," Fai Do shook his head, "tail injuries are common for non-human warriors."

"Why isn't there armor for tails, then?" asked the human seamstress.

"There have been attempts," sighed Gene, "but the results have been found to be uncomfortable and awkward."

"Perhaps someday somebody will figure it out," shrugged Fai Do. "Alas, I have a long way to go before I am confident and crazy enough to try."

Tiffany frowned at this but reluctantly let it go.

* * *

Vermine's trial was swift and with all evidence presented, it was hard to argue that he wasn't guilty of all charges he was accused of.

In some twist of fate, it turned out he never knew his fellow conspirator's name and resorted to calling him Master in respect of his skills with dark magic.

"Could you describe his appearance, defendant?" asked the judge.

"Of course! The traitorous bastard had a large yellow headdress shaped like a snake," growled Vermine, hoping to take Doloran down with him.

"That's unfortunate," King Mausinger raised an eyebrow before shaking his head in exaggerated regret, "that fellow was defeated and punished well before you recovered from your illness."

"What?!"

"It's true," confirmed the Dellian king, who correctly assumed Vermine would try to backstab any allies he had, "that mad sorcerer can't harm anyone ever again."

Vermine fumed.

"Now, is there any others you would like to reveal at the last minute?"

"There isn't," said Vermine.

Vermine was executed at sunset. No one came to intervene on his behalf. He spent his last words hissing threats that he will never be able to follow through.

* * *

_"We really need to speak to you. It's important."_

* * *

Day 349/March 5, 20XX

It had been about a week since Evan and his core group of ministers had defeated the Horned One and learned of Doloran's tie to Roland. Doloran turned out to be surprisingly adaptive to modern life (despite his need to collect Allegorian items to remind himself of his past). He would have to if he was to blend in and build up trust with his target for long periods of time.

After the shock of their similar features wore off, it was apparent how different the two in personality were. Roland was more stoic and rarely angered but had a tendency to smile a lot despite that. His sense of humor was strongly full of snark. Doloran, meanwhile, was more expressive and emotional but so far rarely found time for humor, which leaned towards the sarcastic.

Despite the surreal vibe of the new situation, it also felt as though the two were as close as brothers despite how they were awkwardly attempting to get along with each other. So far they've been standing around each other for a few minutes in between Doloran's trips to the ruins of Allegoria and quickly exchanging greetings before moving on.

Roland was at last cleared to resume working but was ordered by the healers to take it easy. To no one's surprise, he was unimpressed about it and tried to spend an hour longer in the office on his first day back to work but Batu had marched in and carried him out of there.

"Where are we going, Batu?" asked a resigned Roland the moment Batu set him down after carrying him down a flight of stairs.

"Yer 'evil twin' is down at the huntin' lodge tradin' stories," said Batu, "Ye should probably get over there before he tries convincin' people to do somethin' stupid like eat a dragon."

"All we have around here is Incineraptors," Roland pointed out, "They're practically made of lava."

"And that's why we need to get ye down there before some Broadleaf landlubbers go out and learn that the hard way."

"Ah, Mr. Crane," Floyd ran up to them as they exited a side entrance to the Castle only a few knew about, "Can you please stop it with your prank? I've had people ask me for recipes for dragon meat for the past hour now!"

"Er...I'll see what I can do," said Roland as he watched the chef's tail wavered back and forth indicating the Grimalkin's frustration.

* * *

"...Now, the icewyrms, despite the name, they weren't made of ice and were surprisingly good with dill and rosemary," Doloran was saying as Batu and Roland entered the lodge.

"So what happened to them?" asked Roland, causing everyone to look up at him. He watched as ten people in various states of drunkenness swiveled their heads back and forth between the new arrival and the white haired man who looked similar to the Chief Consul. Doloran, meanwhile, calmly set down his tankard and looked up at his other self with clear eyes.

"They died out, because various tribes thought using them as war mounts was a good idea until they all ran out," concluded Doloran, his voice free of slurring.

"Cor," said a former bandit who Roland recognized as one of Tyran's men as he looked into his half empty tankard, "I'm seein' double already."

"Doloran, are you causing trouble?" sighed Roland.

"Not at all," frowned the white haired double, "I was just exchanging hunting stories."

"To be fair," said a sky pirate, "yer stories are a bit tall. A single wizard against territorial creatures bigger than him for two thousand years? Tone it down a little."

"The chefs around the city are complaining about your prank."

"It's not a prank!" the sorcerer argued.

"We had to stop a few engineers who have no experience in hunting from looking for dragons on the way here."

"Let them learn their lesson, then!" shouted a Dellian hunter in the back.

"Sounds like how in my tribe," said a bandit with an accent that marked him as being close to Goldpaw, "we try to convince the lads who think they know everything that you can eat skeleplasms if you manage to defeat one in a duel. I did that once and was sick for days. I was hallucinating that mushrooms can talk the whole time."

Everyone stared at the bandit incredulously.

"What?" he said, "I lived and learned humility. What else do you want from me?"

* * *

Day 351/March 7, 20XX

Roland, concerned about keeping his other self busy until someone skilled in healing a person with a severed Kingsbond was located (because they can't rely on Lofty's temporary shields forever), had decided today that he should bring Doloran to the castle. His reasoning was that Doloran must've had some experience ("Really now? 'Some'? Is that we're calling twelve years of being king now?") and the Consul office could use some help.

"You let some things go for a while, didn't you?" accuse Lofty, who had overheard some of the maids talking about the presence of the Chief Consul's 'brother' in the castle and went to investigate.

"I suspect," said Leander as he eyed the pile of fifteen pages on Roland's desk, "there's a taller pile of documents in your arms band instead of what we're seeing."

"...Maybe," Roland attempted to shrug nonchalantly but stopped as Lofty glared at him.

"By the gods," Doloran brought his palm to his face, "you're supposed to delegate a portion of tasks to others. That's what sub-ministers are for."

"Indeed," agreed Leander, "it's a miracle that managed I convinced you to appoint more junior consuls before the spy incident happened. Now this Kingdom wont fall apart if you and your knowledge of its workings spontaneously vanish."

"Mr. Crane, are you in there?" called Lady Penelope's voice behind the office door that lead into the corridor, "Thetis told me to check to see if you are following healers' orders."

"I don't see how reducing his workload is supposed to help," huffed the Earl's voice, "all he needs is -" the door opened and Lord Timaeus froze as he spotted Doloran.

"By the gods, man!" he yowled, gray well groomed fur poofing up all over, "What happened to you?!"

Doloran slowly blinked, "Er...hello?"

"Oh my," commented Penelope.

"You look like you've been hit with an aging curse!" said the Earl.

"Who are you?"

"You've been cursed with old age and amnesia!" accused the Earl in a horrified tone.

"Isn't that called dementia?" muttered Lofty.

"Do you even know who or where you are?" griped the Earl.

"My name is Doloran," the white haired man replied, "we're in Evermore."

"That's not your name! Who told you that?" The Earl dramatically sighed, "A near eleven months, perhaps even more than that, gone."

Leander pushed up his glasses to hide his amused smile, "Indeed."

"I dunno," said Roland as he stepped into Timaeus and Penelope's field of vision, "it would be hard to forget you all."

"T-two?!" hissed the Earl as his fur seemed to poof even more than what is physically possible.

"So the rumors are true," hummed the Lady.

"That, what, he's been split into two?" said the Earl, "It's definitely not looking like a rumor to me."

"Actually," began Roland, raising an index finger into the air before pausing with a confused look. "Wait. Are we technically two people or one person with two bodies?" He turned to Doloran whose face formed a similar expression as he started to think about it.

"Where I'm from," Lofty intervened, "soul mates are people whose souls merge into each other like a big flippin' knot in the middle. They have separate lives that may share similarities but their experiences can shape them differently. But they are considered separate beings. The principle is probably the same here too." He shrugged.

"Soul mates?!"

"So its not a fairy tale," Penelope raised an eyebrow.

"Why the flip does everyone flippin' keep sayin' that? I don't think anyone here truly flippin' knows what they flippin' think that word means!"

* * *

_"Seriously, not all of us are rampaging personifications of power with no regard to your well being. Come here."_

_"No."_

_"Oh come on!"_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The talk of eating dragons and skeleplasms was a rejected skit I had. It started off with Doloran somehow managing to convince Roland that he had spent many years hunting for food and he would go for dragons. It worked until he mentioned incineraptors which gave him away. Since y'know, they're practically made of lava that could instantly ruin any meat you're trying to get out of it.
> 
> The skeleplasm guy was originally someone who overheard Floyd asking Tani why he's being asked by the Chief Consul of all people to look up recipes involving dragon meat. Here I put him somewhere with better context.
> 
> Doloran either had something non-alcoholic or he magicked his beer into something else. I'm not exactly sure how he got into the hunting lodge in the first place but it most likely happened because of mistaken identity shenanigans.
> 
> Doloran and Roland aren't exactly friends just yet even though they share a ~connection~. They'll get there eventually. Until then, the Earl is safe from being trolled.


	43. Entry 40 - Healing past wounds

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> It's 10:18 PM here which makes it still 9/9/18. This is today's second update. If you haven't yet, read chapter 42 first.
> 
> In other news, I realized too late what 'cauterizing' means and the implications of using it on things that attach to your metaphysical self. So...I might as well stick with it because its not the worst thing I did with Kingsbonds and Kingmakers in this story.

[From the Diary of Roland Crane]

It's been a little over a week and the only thing I've realized so far is that it's really off-putting seeing a double of myself. Is this what having a twin sibling is like? Seeing your own face outside of a mirror and its completely normal? And they can just go about interacting with the world?

The soul mate bond, now that I'm aware of it, is most definitely real and the source of the moments I see Doloran and think 'Yes, this is my other self and we complete each other. This is a fact of life and it always has been.'

And yet, its so awkward to spend time with him. Yes, we share a bond. Yes, we can occasionally sense what the other is feeling strongly about before Lofty put that on hold. But it wont change the fact that one of us was interfering with this world's politics for two thousand years, causing untold amounts of chaos. What do I even do with that?

* * *

Day 353/March 9, 20XX

[Early morning]

"Now that they're both working close by each other," said Evan, "how well do you think Doloran and Roland are getting along?"

"To be honest, Your Majesty," replied Leander, "they appear to be uncomfortable being left alone with each other. They'll speak with each other, yes, but only if its topics they have deemed 'safe' such as the weather and the kingdom's affairs. And that's if there's another person in the room."

Evan's ears drooped in disappointment.

"What should we do?" asked Tani.

"We can't force them to become friends," advised Batu, "we should let them handle it themselves."

"Yeah, we'd just make it worse if we interfere," agreed Bracken.

"But..."

"Their situation is more complex than we may think it is," pointed out Leander, "it's very rare that soul mates interact with each other or reside in the same place."

"Flippin' right you are," Lofty hopped in place to get everyone's attention, "this is flippin' new for everyone involved."

* * *

[SEVERAL HOURS LATER]

Ya Pi: I am pleased to announce that Lady Luck has smiled upon Goldpaw and in doing so, Master Pugnacious has succeeded in reconnecting with Longfang.

Leander: Congratulations.

Fran Nee: The Grand High Roller seems to look healthier.

Di Di: Yeah, he does.

Yo Ho Ho: Maybe we should give that old wizard fellow the heads up.

Ya Pi: Of course. We've been looking for him for the past two weeks.

* * *

"That's one Kingsbond restored so far," said Tani as she read the Viewer.

"Thank goodness," sighed Evan, pressing a hand against his chest in relief.

"We did buy everyone time to get their flippin' acts together before the Kingmaker decides to make a second judgement," pointed out Lofty as he crossed his arms in thought, "so I guess Ol' Puggy felt now was the right time. Either that or he was worried that Dolly-boy would come back and steal his Kingsbond again for months."

Doloran shifted uncomfortably by Roland's side. Well...they're not wrong.

* * *

[Private Message from Bracken Meadows to Zip Vector]

Bracken: Hey, Master Pugnacious got his Kingsbond back.

Zip: Neat.

Bracken: Have you reconnected with Bastion yet?

Zip: ...I forgot about that?

Bracken: How?!

Zip: I was super busy! But thanks for the reminder. I'll see what I can do...

* * *

Day 355/March 11, 20XX

"My apologies, Roland, Doloran," bowed Leander, "but Her Majesty Queen Nerea plans to speak with Brineskimmer today."

"Oh," said Doloran numbly.

"She wishes for me to accompany her," added Leander, "so I must go."

"Good luck," Roland offered while on auto-pilot.

"I will return if we are successful. Farewell," he bowed once more before shutting the door.

Before Leander teleported away, he heard an attempt of conversation coming from Doloran, "Oh look, another casino request..."

* * *

Leander returned a few hours later, triumphant that Her Majesty has reconnected with the Kingmaker. He quickly pulled on his ascot so it would cover more of his neck.

"It was a success," he declared when Evan asked him how it went.

"Which one?" deadpanned Doloran. To Evan and Leander's confusion, Batu and Roland both suppressed their snickers.

"Pardon?" asked Leander. Batu mimed pulling at his head. That was when Leander realized he forgot to tame his hair back into place.

"Ah...Her Majesty reuniting with Brineskimmer, of course," elaborated Leander.

"We should send our congratulations," said Evan obliviously.

"I'll send them myself if you want," grinned Bracken.

"Y-you don't have to," Leander said quickly, "I-I'll be returning to my duties..." He power walked out of the throne room, wondering what other tells he missed.

* * *

_"As much as I would like to just bring you to us, apparently your mortal head might explode if we don't prepare ourselves first. You lucked out on that."_

_"Um...thank you."_

* * *

Day 356/March 12, 20XX

"Um...hey, Bastion," Zip Vector called out as he exited the elevator that lead to the King's Cradle on the roof, "you there?"

There was no answer.

"Right, he's probably waiting in the Cradle. Welp, here I go..." He strode straight to the Cradle of Wisdom where uncertainty waited for his arrival.

* * *

[Private Message from Zip Vector to Bracken Meadows]

Zip: Hey, guess what?

Zip: The greatest mind in the world and the best Kingmaker ever are back in business!

Zip: He refuses to remove the invisibility upgrade though.

* * *

Meanwhile, Min Ti entered Evermore's throne room to announce that at last a mage who is a specialized healer has arrived in Evermore. The old man, Galen, was living in the mountains near Capstan-Upon-Hull like a hermit and hadn't had anyone need of his more specific services in a long time. The last King who fit the criteria died a few days after abdicating the throne to allow his chosen heir to take over.

Months ago, Galen had actually came by Goldpaw two days after he heard Longfang's roars of rage and was surprised to find the Kingdom still standing. He had offered his services to Master Pugnacious who ultimately turned it down, stating that he somehow could still sense Longfang. It was severely muted but it was somehow still there. Seeing the state of Doloran and Roland after the final battle against the Horned One reminded the Grand High Ruler and General Ya Pi of the encounter and so scouts were sent out to track down Galen.

Lofty immediately snapped his fingers and it was like a veil had lifted up. The Chief Consul and Doloran flinched as the shields holding back the damage to the Kingsbond fell away.

"Was that really necessary?" complained Doloran.

"Gotta let the bloke do his flippin' job somehow, mun," justified Lofty.

* * *

Upon entering the throne room, Galen asked to examine the Kingsbond between Evan and Lofty to demonstrate part of his knowledge. When granted, he pressed a hand on the King and Kingmaker's heads and concentrated. To everyone's surprise, a warm golden light jutted out of their chests.

"Your bond is healthy and very strong for one that is not even a full year old," complimented the mage, "it's a sign of Your Majesty's true character and his compatibility with his chosen Kingmaker."

"T-thank you," blushed Evan while Lofty grinned smugly as the mage allowed the bond to resettle back into them.

"Now," bowed the mage, "obviously, Your Majesty has no need of my services so soon. May I ask to see the patient?"

Doloran stepped forward with Roland hesitantly behind him as he detected the feeling of nervousness and grief from their own link. Lofty's shields had muted their awareness of the link because if he hadn't, Doloran's reaction to sensing damage to the remnants of his Kingbond would transfer to Roland who would then transfer his reaction back to the other until they get stuck in a telepathic feedback loop. Lofty had very loudly expressed how unimpressed he was by this variant of the soul bond at the time.

Galen barely batted an eye at the two men before him. To him, all he was seeing was what appeared to be a set of twin brothers with one who appears to have more magical talent than the other. Yet, he sensed...

"Well now," he hummed, "I may need both of you."

"What a surprise," said Lofty sarcastically.

"I also need an area close by your healers, Your Majesty. In case I need assistance," the mage requested bluntly.

"The castle's infirmary is this way," Leander stepped into a side corridor and motioned for the three men to follow him as the young king, the Kingmaker, Tani, and Batu looked on.

"Good luck," called Evan, his tail flicking behind him in a nervous manner.

"Ugh, fine," grumbled Lofty suddenly. He toddle-ran after them. "Wait for me!"

* * *

Leander lead them to a side room in the infirmary. The visiting mage leaned in and whispered something into his ear. The Junior Consul frowned before nodding. He retrieved his wand from his arms band and began muttering a spell that seemed to float into the walls, floor, and ceiling. Doloran instantly recognized it as a sound muffling charm.

"I'll be nearby," declared Leander before he stepped out of the room.

The four remaining beings stood around awkwardly.

"I must warn you two that in order to examine the Kingsbond," the mage began to break the ice, "I will have to touch your spiritual heart. Who wants to go first?"

"I suppose I should," Roland decided, "it's not as bad with me...probably."

"Alright. Now, let yourself relax," Galen approached the dark-haired twin and pressed his hand against the man's chest and closed his eyes to focus. Like Doloran had done for the past year, the hand sunk into his chest and Roland had to bite down the instinctive need to panic and pull himself away from the intrusion.

"Goodness," said the elderly mage as he examined Roland's spiritual self and spotted a certain anomaly, "I hadn't seen this kind of bond since I was a lad training under my master. We once encountered a fellow who had suddenly lost enthusiasm to everything. His friends and family thought he was cursed."

"When was that?" asked Lofty who had ultimately accompanied Roland and Doloran out of a need to protect his citizens from harm. It was hard to turn it off after maintaining widespread protection to Evermore's people from the Horned One for so long. Maybe this is why the other Kingmakers chose to carve out a dimensional space for themselves or rest in the King's Cradles. They needed a break from sensing the needs of the Kingdom.

"Oh, a very long time ago," Galen recalled, "upon examination, we found a strange mixture within his soul. It lead to another soul who we discovered showed signs of missing a piece of his own heart. The damage to them was affecting the young man we were with. Unfortunately, we did not know what spell could help their soul mate so we had to shield the lad until his partner can find help."

"Did they?" inquired Roland, trying to keep his mind off of what is currently happening.

"He must have," agreed Galen, "because the lad in our world completely returned to his old self when we returned to his village a few years later."

He roughly prodded the gold and violet soul bond he was examining and watched as both men in the room flinched.

"Please don't do that again," groaned Roland.

"My apologies," said the mage, "but I just wanted to make sure what exactly I'm dealing with."

He 'hmm'ed as he continued his examination and his 'touch' became more gentle. "You have experienced damage to your spirit but it is healing. What caused it?"

"The Horned One wouldn't take no for an answer," said Roland bluntly.

"A fabled great evil tried to possess you?" Galen looked at him with skepticism but relented when Roland firmly nodded, "Well, given how the feel of the world has changed seemingly overnight, I am inclined to believe you."

And then Galen found what he meant to look for. It was small, as if vestigial and the young man before him was not meant to have it. Perhaps he was born long after his soul mate forged the true Kingsbond and the bond extended itself when the white haired man's soul found the other's spirit compatible with it. The vestigial end was already crumbling but when it was a strong and healthy, it must have been a beautiful sight. Too bad it was causing minor damage through the trauma the bond holder had endured.

"How long have you had this Kingsbond?" asked Galen, wanting a confirmation of his suspicions.

"Apparently since I was born," Roland carefully shrugged, "I hadn't known about this until a couple of weeks ago."

"I see," Galen carefully removed himself from Roland, who then sat down on a nearby cot feeling weak-kneed and violated despite giving his consent. Doloran looked on, alarmed by how exhausted his other self became. A small noise from Lofty made him look down and found that the small Kingmaker was concerned.

"I'm afraid its your turn," said Roland tiredly. Doloran turned and found Galen staring at him expectantly. Well...he can't run away from this forever.

Doloran sat down on the nearest cot, which was next to Roland's.

There was something horribly ironic of Galen reaching into Doloran's chest with such gentleness as if Doloran hadn't done the same but more violently and increasingly efficient as time went on.

Galen looked at Doloran, startled. "Your soul is very old compared to his. I also can see how it was badly corrupted until recently. But don't be alarmed, it will heal over time. Now, what happened?"

"My Kingmaker," said Doloran numbly, "had rejected her power in an effort to be with me. She didn't expect the unguided power to turn against her and run wild. That is the origin of the Horned One."

"My apologies, sir," hummed Galen, "for having love twisted against the two of you. The Kingsbond still remained?"

"Yes, it was stretched thin and twisted on itself but it stayed unbroken until the Horned One was ultimately defeated. That was when it finally snapped."

"Alas," frowned Galen, "normally a Kingsbond that is broken dissolves quickly but the older it gets, the longer it lingers. That is why older rulers usually don't step down. The emotional and spiritual trauma of being separated from a being that has intertwined with your very self for years as you reigned can be devastating. I'm surprised you are still alive."

"Youer welcome," piped up Lofty.

The old man raised an eyebrow at the red and yellow being before returning to the task at hand.

"There is one method that can help you two but only if its done right: the Kingbond's remains are cauterized out of your soul."

"If I recall correctly," paled Roland, "isn't that the method that encourages healing through flame or heated objects applied to wounds?"

"By the gods," breathed Doloran as he also turned white in the face.

"Blimey, this world is flippin' hardcore," commented Lofty.

"Indeed. Any mage with above average magical strength can do it but if one is carefully trained, the damage is minimal," Galen released Doloran and a small flame appeared in his hands, "I trust, Kingmaker, that you'll raise the alarm if anything goes wrong."

"Sure thing, mun," said Lofty nervously.

And then suddenly, without any fanfare, Galen sunk his flaming hands into both men, zeroed in on the fracturing Kingsbond, and _squeezed_.

The pain both felt was intense and try as they could, they couldn't muster the sense to scream. Even if they could, it was though they had no air left in their lungs to do so. For Roland, it was worse than all the past pains in his life. Worse than the car accident, the missile's consuming heat, and the Horned One using brute force combined.

After what seemed to be an eternity of this hell, Galen let go and Roland welcomed the sweet release of unconsciousness.

* * *

_"Okay, you know what? Fine. If you don't want to speak to us in your dreams, then we'll just come to you in the waking world."_

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Roland voice: I give that experience a 3 out of 10.
> 
> Originally, this was spread out a good week apart but it seemed off that one thing was happening each day so some scenes happened on the same day in a space of three or four days. It's also why Doloran and Roland are still awkward with each other.
> 
> I figured that the rulers could regain the Kingsbond because it was mentioned after one of the Kingmaker fights that by driving off the angry Plot Device Dragon, everyone is given time to fix things before it comes back for a second judgement. In that train of thought, if the ruler has proven that they've changed and are fixing up the Kingdom, the Kingbond could be reconnected. But the game never follows up on that. Then again, there's some jerk going around stealing Kingsbonds, do you really want to tempt fate and have him come back for round two?
> 
> (Leander either got a Victory Makeout or he and Queen Nerea did The Thing. It's all up to interpretation. :D )
> 
> Galen's namesake is a second century Greek doctor whose practices and guidelines were used for about 1500 years and whose meaning is 'calm' in Greek. It's also a Gaelic name that means 'tranquil.' That...doesn't happen here, whoops.


	44. Entry 41 - To become better

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> Oakenhart 2: Electric Bugaloo

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Welp, its time for the annual carpal tunnel syndrome. Good news is that symptoms are mild and getting better but updates will be slower.
> 
> This chapter was originally meant to be part of last chapter but it decided to become longer and my wrists were getting angry...so here it is.

Day 357/March 14, 20XX

Mausinger pressed a hand against the statue depicting Oakenhart in trepidation. Can he bring back the ancient Kingmaker who had been associated with Ding Dong Dell for centuries? Who had won fierce battles against the Kingdom's enemies in war?

The very same Kingmaker who had formed the first Kingsbond with Mausinger the day after the coup. He didn't allow himself to express relief that it actually worked until hours later. He had secretly poisoned his dear friend until the damage from the poison took hold and he died couple of months later. He had driven out Leonhard's true successor, who was merely ten years old at the time, out of the Kingdom.

Somehow, Oakenhart found him worthy.

But after a near year of oppressing a third of his citizens, passing laws that restricted the rest, being duped by Vermine, attempting to harm young Evan when the boy tried to make amends, and ultimate losing his Kingsbond...is he still worthy?

Otto Mausinger, King of Ding Dong Dell, pushed back the anxiety and said, "Kingmaker Oakenhart, I call upon thee. Come to me."

The world suddenly shifted and to his surprise, Mausinger found himself in the glen where Oakenhart dragged everyone into a month and a half ago.

The deer-like Kingmaker stared down at him. Mausinger lowered himself to one knee and bowed his head down in reverence.

 **So,** it said, **you wish to reconnect with me? To Ding Dong Dell for which I have served for generations before you?**

"Yes," confirmed the mouse king.

**Then stand up, Otto Mausinger. Prove yourself worthy to me once more. Prove to me that your ideals have not wavered.  
**

Mausinger quickly got up as the Kingmaker roared its challenge, **Duel me.**

He summoned his sword and with a quick swipe, he activated the sword's magic. Flames erupted from the blade.

The ensuing battle was unlike the previous confrontation. For one, Oakenhart did not summon Higmakers. It was more in control of its power and temper this time. It was more willing to swipe at Mausinger with its vine-covered tail whenever he got too close. He could only use his magic at a distance and only when he timed it right for the Kingmaker would see him pause and rush to tackle him. It was though the ancient beast was trying to force him into making errors that would bring the battle to Oakenhart's favor.

He...he can't. If he did, it would be fatal. He had no heirs of his own blood yet. There was only a few people he could trust ruling Ding Dong Dell and one of them was already a King of his own kingdom. Evan is young but at his age and experience, he would not be able to keep track of two countries so soon.

He made a promise to Leonhard...!

The Kingmaker flapped its wings as it hovered into the air. The wind it produced threatened to blow back the challenger but Mausinger immediately stuck the sword into the ground to prevent that from happening.

That quickly proved itself to be a mistake as the Kingmaker dropped down to the ground and plants and vines immediately sprouted and spread under its feet. They grew around the sword's blade and Mausinger's legs, effectively trapping him. To his horror, Oakenhart crept towards him with intent reflecting in its eyes.

What could he do? He can't get away nor can't he release the sword and activate its magic - wait a minute...!

Mausinger formed a fireball in his hand and flung it to the ground, igniting the vines enough to break free. Oakenhart made a noise that sounded like approval. It jumped back as the sword was pulled up from the wreckage of burned plants, causing the ground to shake a bit from the impact of its landing.

Mausinger ducked as the Kingmaker twisted and tried to hit him with its tail once more. He yelped and raised his sword to intercept a swipe from a clawed foot for the tail was just a distraction. It hissed as the sword ignited with bright red flames once more and withdrew its foot.

Oakenhart launched itself into the air again and flew over Mausinger. Its tail smacked Mausinger's sword hand, causing him to drop it in pained shock. Oakenhart dropped down, causing the mouse to stumble as the ground shook once more.

He instinctively froze as he felt hot breath on his back. Oh no...

He took a deep breath and turned around to face death head on. Oakenhart leaned forward...

He waited.

Nothing happened.

 **Otto Mausinger, King of Ding Dong Dell,** boomed Oakenhart suddenly.

"Yes?" said Mausinger, confused.

 **You have my approval,** Oakenhart declared, **You have shown to me what you are truly capable of. Your recent memories speak of your leadership and your desire to truly bring Ding Dong Dell to new heights and shake away the darkness of its past. You saw the errors of your ways and instead of falling into despair, you are striving to make amends.**

 **Allow me to help you fulfill your promise to Leonhard,** continued the Kingmaker, **let us reconnect once more.**

"Of course," nodded the Dellian king.

Oakenhart lowered itself and a teal and gold light sparked into existence below its horns. Mausinger carefully raised his unlit sword and watched as the light snaked down the sword and his arm until it sunk into his chest. It sunk into his very soul where the fragments of the original Kingsbond resided.

New and old bonded together and a deep ache Mausinger had felt for over a month was soothed.

 **We are together again,** said Oakenhart. **Now, let's go back.**

In a blink, Mausinger found himself in the King's Cradle, still touching the statue. Startled, he removed his hand.

"Is something wrong, Your Majesty?" asked one of the ministers who, along with a few high ranking soldiers and a mage, accompanied him to the Cradle.

"How long was I out?" Mausinger looked back, confused.

"You never left, Sire," answered Captain Buck, "You touched the statue, spoke to it, and then stared at it for a while before you let go."

"You were also glowing for a moment there," said the mage, "What happened?"

The king stared at the group crowding around in the Cradle with a flummoxed expression.

"I truly never left?" he received various nods in response.

"I suppose..." Mausinger decided, "I had a vision of the Kingmaker in which I was tested. I passed the test and in doing so, I received the Kingsbond. You said I was glowing?"

"Yes, teal and gold."

"Those were the colors of the Kingsbond," confirmed Mausinger. He started to worry. What if they don't truly believe him?

 **Come outside,** said Oakenhart through the Bond, **and show them.**

Mausinger looked back at the statue. It lifelessly stared back. He really wanted to ask how but he also felt the urge to trust the Kingmaker's words.

"Well, let's step outside and for a breath of fresh air, shall we?" said Mausinger casually, noting how that scandalized some of the witnesses. To say such a thing in a sacred temple is not taboo but some Kingmakers of the past were said to be easily offended. To be so flippant...!

They all followed the King outside and gasped.

Standing before them was Oakenhart. Everyone but the King bowed in reverence. Mausinger, meanwhile, walked up to the Kingmaker and raised a reaching hand. The Kingmaker moved its head in a way that resulted in the Dellian King appearing to pet Oakenhart on its nose.

"I welcome you back," said Mausinger gently, "to Ding Dong Dell."

Oakenhart seemed to huff in amusement at the thought that it needed permission to come and go as it backed away. It spread its wings out before launching itself above the spectators and with a roar it flew away until it phased out of its partner's dimensional plane.

* * *

[Meanwhile]

The first thing that Roland noticed as he came to was that his throat was sore. Actually, his _everything_ was sore.

What in the world happened?

He could hear people quietly talking to each other in the room but he found that he didn't have enough energy to fully listen in.

"You said...alive...years?...Impossible...first century..."

"Can't ask now...need rest..."

"Of course..."

Roland found himself unconcerned. Whoever they were talking about surely wasn't him. He's not over a hundred years old. He's merely forty eight going on forty nine...or was it twenty? It hurt to think it over so he allowed himself to return to sleep.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Mausinger's section was originally going to be shorter and have Evan show up as a witness. Instead, it became its own thing and Evan has other concerns at the moment (*cough*Roland*cough*) so he didn't come.
> 
> Mausinger ended up having a solo boss fight because Oakenhart was the only Kingmaker boss fight I had written about before so I was more familiar with his attacks. The only difference here is that Oakenhart is not in Rampage Mode so he'd be smarter about his attacks but also he was testing Mausinger's resolve and whatnot.
> 
> We'll return to the Wonder Twins Soap Opera next chapter.


	45. Entry 42 - Fads vs Reality

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Turns out writer's block and CTS is not a good combination. But hey, I got through it. Well, the writer's block anyway. Wrists and hands will be 100% betterish in a couple of weeks.

Day 359/March 16, 20XX

Roland opened his eyes again and winced as his eyes readjusted to the brightness of the room. The next thing he noticed was that he felt a slight ache everywhere like he had done a full body work out.

But that can't be right. Since when did this world get the idea of gyms? Although, the barracks could count as -

"About time you woke up," said a baritone voice, jolting Roland out of his thoughts. He looked up and saw Doloran standing by the bed.

"How long was I out?" asked Roland.

"Four days," answered his counterpart, "A day later after me. The healers suspect you aren't following their orders about reducing your work load and not working all night long."

"...But I am following orders," protested Roland, who numbly processed that he was out for four days.

"Of course you are," Doloran rolled his eyes, "Healer Galen believes its from shock. Not surprising considering we were set on fire in the inside."

Oh right. That actually happened. Roland managed to recall a vague and fragmented memory of that incident and flinched. His mind refused to remember all of it as a way to protect itself. Perhaps he should leave that be.

"Four days," he said absently.

"Indeed," confirmed Doloran, "Since yesterday I've been trying to sneak out of here a few times until Thetis threatened to nix both of us for a week. It's strange, not getting out of places quickly." He ran a hand through his white messy hair that seemed...shinier than usual.

...Wait.

"What did you do to your hair?" Roland asked as he rubbed the back of his neck and found that his own hair was left untied and surprisingly not tangled. Not that he wanted to complain when there are worse things to wake up to. But why does it feel so soft and silky? Did somebody decide to waste expensive shampoo on him?

"Of all the things you decide to refocus on, it's that?" Doloran raised an eyebrow, "No concern about threats on being unable to cast any spells you know of for a week?"

"They're mostly battle spells," argued Roland, "and I doubt I'm allowed to hit things with a sword for a while. But really, what did you do? It looks a bit uneven."

"Now that my headdress no longer exists, I no longer need a buffer to protect my neck from bruising or rub burns," explained Doloran.

Roland stared at him.

"Yes, alright," Doloran gave in, "perhaps I also needed a change. Hair grows back anyway."

Before Roland could answer, a young dogfolk woman dressed in healer robes entered the room and sighed as she noticed Doloran.

"Out of bed again, I see," she said, "And bothering the Chief Consul while he's recovering!"

"It's not a problem," protested Roland, "I just woke up."

"And how do you feel on a scale of 1 to 10?"

"Er, five?" The aches were becoming background noise the longer he stayed awake and had some distraction. But this didn't please the healer.

"Not good enough," she declared.

"It's not bothering - " Roland began but stopped as the healer _growled_.

"Back to bed!" she harshly demanded at an alarmed Doloran who quickly did what he was told and climbed into the bed three beds away from Roland.

"Master Galen and Thetis will be coming by later," she said to the wide-eyed men. "I suggest you rest!"

"Yes, Ma'am," they both chorused on auto-pilot.

"Good," she picked up a glass and a pitcher of water off a desk, poured water into the glass and walked over to Roland's bed. She watched in satisfaction as her patient carefully sipped from the cup. She looked back and glared at Doloran for forgetting to offer water the moment he saw his twin wake up. He nervously shrugged, earning a more sharper glare.

* * *

A few hours later, once it was observed that both patients have been able to stay awake for more than an hour, visitors were allowed to enter once Thetis took over.

"We were worried about you," said Tani, "Master Galen said it was to be expected but he thought you would be the one to wake up first."

Roland blinked as he recalled briefly waking up and vaguely hearing a conversation. He shrugged. He probably dreamed it.

"Well, I'm up now," he decided to say as he ran a hand through his long hair again. It felt...weirdly nice.

"What's wrong?" asked Evan.

"My hair..." began Roland, unsure where to go with this.

"Ah, so that flippin' fad got in here too?" sighed Lofty, "I don't sense any flippin' difference in you two."

"Fad?" said Doloran while he and Roland tilted their heads questioningly in sync to Lofty's exasperation.

"Somebody last week claimed that using plant sap as a shampoo would strengthen your magical power," snickered Bracken, "because apparently hair is magical."

"What," Roland replied blankly as he tried to comprehend why something so ridiculous is making the rounds. Doloran had a doubtful expression but he too fell to temptation and reached to feel his messy white locks once more.

"If that was the flippin' case, then people like ol' Timmy would be overflowin' with magic by now," Lofty pointed out. Which Roland found to be true because, yeah, the grimalkin Earl was vain about the upkeep of his fur (hair?). Then again, most of the non-human population would have an advantage over humans and merfolk for obvious reasons...

"This will pass," said an unimpressed Leander, "just like how it was rumored that if you grounded up socktopus and add it to coffee, it would make a magic restorative." Evan made a disgusted hiss at that.

"I would never touch coffee for as long as I live if that was true," decided the King.

"Good," said Roland, "you're too young to drink coffee yet."

"You might not be able to safely ingest it," Leander pointed out, "your grimalkin bloodline could enforce restrictions on your diet as you grow older."

"I know," Evan sounded as though he heard that many times when he was younger. He was lucky he didn't inherit his human mother's lobster allergy, or so he heard. But it would be nice to know what mangoes taste like.

* * *

The group chatted another hour until the healers chased the visitors out. Roland hadn't realized it but he was getting tired. To his frustration, he found himself yawning. Surely he had slept enough?

"Hey, do you think I got stronger in magic now?" he asked Doloran while semi-conscious.

He fell asleep to Doloran's amused snort.

* * *

Day 360/March 17, 20XX

To Roland's frustration, the healers wanted him to stay in the infirmary for another day. He's feeling more energetic today! Surely he is allowed to move around and, y'know, not rely on bed pans?

"This is new for all of us," said Thetis, "oh sure, the mages say its easy to burn stuff out of your soul but what about afterwards? We were worried one of you wouldn't make it in the first twenty four hours."

He watched as the Chief Consul became horrified and whispered, "Oh no..." Thetis decided to not tell him how hard the King was trying to not cry for a day and a half. He got the feeling that Roland understood.

After Master Galen did a check up that left both men shuddering out of response from the first time they encountered him, he decided it would best for their recovery to be allowed out of the infirmary for a few hours starting the next day.

"That's great!" Evan said excitedly, his tail swishing in happiness when Roland passed on the news, "everybody in the kingdom has been worried about both of you, you know! They've been asking if you two will be okay soon!"

Batu chuckled at Doloran's surprised expression, "ye charmed the lodge with yer tall tales of eatin' dragons, lad. They want to see what ye pull out of yer..." Roland, sensing danger, quickly covered Evan's ears and Batu continued, "...arse next."

"Really now," said Doloran, smiling slightly while Evan mewed in annoyance at Roland before ducking away from his hands.

"Word is that one of Tyran's lads is thinkin' of openin' a stall where he roasts things on a stick before sellin' them," added Batu, "Said he was goin' to start small with whamsters first."

"Too much fat in them," commented Doloran as he shrugged.

"The master hunter has spoken," Roland declared in a false-reverent tone.

"Indeed I have," quipped back Doloran.

Batu and Evan shared a look. Maybe, just maybe, this is a good sign that the soul mate pair was beginning to get along.

But once all visitors have left, both men returned to their awkward silent truce. Their link, which had been unblocked since Galen's first day in Evermore, allowed them to sense each other's growing frustration.

* * *

Day 362/March 19, 20XX

"I can't believe they threw out the hair tie," grumbled Roland as he and Doloran stepped out of the infirmary. Both had been given plain clothes for their second day of being let out.

"Thetis said it was falling apart," pointed out his double who rolled his eyes, "honestly, you can always get another one."

"It's the principle of the matter," said Roland as he brushed a stray lock away from his line of sight.

"Of course," replied Doloran diplomatically as he looked around and found no one nearby. "Now, do you want to see how far from this wing we can go this time or not?"

"Do you think we can go outside?" pondered Roland, "it's not going to hurt anything if we get some fresh air. I mean, this shirt is pretty thick..."

* * *

Maeve: Good news, everyone. They finally made an appearance.

Maeve: (Image of the Chief Consul and his mysterious double hanging around in a small courtyard, enjoying the breeze)

Fran Nee: Oh, his hair is down!

Fred: It looks...silky.

Linda: That stupid fad got to them too?

Linda: I...I have to admit, they both look...gorgeous.

Fran Nee: Hells yeah they do.

Maeve: Oh no, here come the healers...

* * *

"Worth it," muttered Roland after being dragged back inside the castle and receiving a lecture about endangering their health.

"How can ten minutes of fresh air be worth it?" said Doloran sulkily.

Before Roland can reply, a loud roar was heard from outside. They rushed over to a window and saw a very large dragon approaching the Kingdom.

It didn't look like an Incineraptor so it couldn't be Flappy...

"That appears to be a Windwyrm," observed Doloran, "a very old Windwrym."

"Why is it here?"

There was another roar from the Windwyrm that indicated that it was about to attack.

"Come on," decided Roland as he prepared to start running off to the nearest exit, "we need to fight it off."

"We don't have weapons!" Doloran pointed out.

"Yeah we do," argued Roland, "we have -" he paused and looked down wondering why his sword isn't appearing.

"Where's my arms band?" he asked.

"That's what I was trying to tell you!" said Doloran, "the healers took it off of you because you didn't need it in your coma."

"Then where's your staff?"

"At my house," Doloran shook his head, "we don't have time to get it nor do I know how strong my magic is now!"

"We can teleport!" pointed out Roland, "now let's go!" He grabbed Doloran's wrist as the other man protested and concentrated.

* * *

"I am Storme!" announced the Windwyrm, "I am here to do what the likes of Shadar and Haku have failed. I don't need the Horned One's power as a crutch. I am already strong! I am the king of all dragons! I will rule this world and no one can stop me!" He unleashed a blast of flames at the entrance gates as a warning.

Storme watched as the insignificant creatures in this den started screaming and scrambling. Let them despair in his wrathful glory! Once he makes an example out of this pathetic kingdom, the others will surrender and accept him as king! Once that fledgling emerges from its ruined den, it will be the one of the first to pledge loyalty.

A group of archers assembled in the town square and began firing their measly attempts at baring their claws at his magnificent scales. He let them do so. Their arrows that are bouncing off his hide are a mere tickle.

"How adorable," he sneered. Is this best they can do?

More protectors have arrived, all hoping to protecting their ant hill from him. He watched as some in long robes flung spells at him that didn't harm him.

"You call that fire?" he said as the mages wised up and combined their magic to produce a bigger fire ball. "This is fire!"

He released a jet of his own fire at them. There was a few screams as the fire burned them away.

He ceased his attack and to his annoyance, he found them all alive. They were protected by a barrier produced by a yellowed haired man in purple.

"You shall cease and desist!" the man yelled, "or you shall suffer the consequences!"

"Suffer?" If Storme had eyebrows, he'd be raising them at this silly warning. "Oh no, it shall be _you_ who suffers."

"Behold my power!" He unleashed another surge of flame and made sure to make it hotter.

"Enough!" shouted a child's voice and a jet of water hit him in the face.

"Who dares to insult me?!" Storme roared.

"I do!" a boy with grimalkin ears and a red cape stepped forward. He raised his shining sword.

"I am Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum," he announced, "King of Evermore. Slayer of the Horned One. I demand you stop attacking my kingdom." The little red and yellow...thing next to him nodded enthusiastically.

"You? A mere fledgling slaying the Horned One?" scoffed Storme, "I refuse to believe an ant like you managed to bring the Horned One to her knees."

"What's with wild dragons comparin' everyone to flippin' ants?" grumbled the thing by King Evan's side.

"Don't provoke it, Lofty," Evan muttered to the little creature.

"Because that's what you are," announced Storme, "mere tiny insignificant ants to my power. And I shall make you even more insignificant!"

He blasted another get of flame and decided to add electricity to his attack in order to teach the whelps a lesson about their place in the world.

"No!" a man's voice shouted and a barrier suddenly surrounded the child king.

Storme stopped, "What's this?"

The barrier faded away and revealed a white haired man in simple clothes holding up a staff. The green jewels powering it gleamed in the fire light of distant burning houses. Another man was shielding the King with his body in case the shield failed.

"Roland? Doloran?" gasped Evan as Roland gave him a once over for any injury before standing up.

"What the flip are you idiots doin' out here?" flailed Lofty, "you should be healing!"

"And let the kingdom burn while we do nothing?" said Doloran, who was unimpressed by how Roland's desperate determination drifted through their bond.

"We wont allow it," added his dark haired companion as he came to the other's side, wielding a sword. Hmph, as if Storme would humor the fool and let him try and stab him. Let him despair in his uselessness!

"And how are you going to do that?" asked Storme, "you have a mere sword!"

"He's flippin' right, mun," groaned Lofty.

"I still know some magic," answered Roland.

"You got flippin' nerfed!" pointed out the Kingmaker, "who knows if you still got it!"

"Thanks for the vote of confidence," said Roland sarcastically.

"Either way," interrupted Storme, "you will _burn_ and I will grant no mercy of a quick death." He watched in satisfaction as the man flinched at his words. O ho! So the ant already knows his place? Then he shall be the last to die. He will watch as everything around him burns and then, as he despairs, will at last perish.

...Or be allowed to live and pledge himself to his new king to save what's left of his pride. Oooh! That's even better.

With a quick flap of his wings, Storme produced a wind that threatened to knock down them all down. While some of the guards were blown away, the blond purple man, the King, the King's pet, and the King's two body guards refused to budge despite being scratched by tossed debris.

"Leander," said Roland suddenly, "do you have a spare wand?"

"You have no training in wands," Leander pointed out as he searched for another in his arms band, "But I suppose that's not going to stop you anyway."

"Damn straight," agreed Roland.

Leander frowned as he summoned one, "this is rather weak but will it do?"

"It better," said Roland as the dragon roared when Evan hit it with a light spell. Roland concentrated and to his surprise, a small purple ball formed around the wand. Normally, he used this spell with his gun but surely the principle is the same...

To his frustration, he only managed to get the ball to widen to half the size of what he usually produces. He wasn't sure if it was because of the wand's power or he was still weakened from everything that had happened in the past two weeks. But he couldn't let this stop him. It has to work!

He released the gravity spell and watched as it hit the target. The dragon roared in confusion as he found himself falling to the ground. Storme landed on his feet and was immediately rushed by citizens and soldiers alike.

"I am fire! I am lightning! I will not fall to your tiny claws!" he roared.

The ground beneath him rumbled and he was knocked off his feet by a sudden pillar of earth rushing up to meet him.

"How's that for tiny?" announced a glowing Batu as he lowered his hand. The pillar lowered and if it weren't for some scattered bricks, it would be as though it hadn't happened.

"You will pay for this!" screamed Storme. He was immediately smacked in the face by a clawed whip made of dark magic. Doloran swung his staff again and his spell hit the increasingly enraged dragon again. With the dragon distracted, an arrow flew past, narrowly missing its vulnerable eyes. Tani scowled as she reloaded her bow.

Roland fired short blasts of weak magic to distract the dragon to him. He watched as Storme turned his head to him with a furious aura. Roland knew he was looking at certain death...

The dragon roared in pain as an arrow took out an eye.

"You dare?!" screamed Storme.

"I do," said Tani.

"You shall be the first to -" before he could finish, a tower of earth burst out of the ground with more force than what was needed. Gun shots rang out as Bracken joined in. She set a device on the ground and drones floated out and hovered around the defenders, healing small wounds. Another set of drones fired into the dragon's face, blinding it even more.

Doloran banged his staff on the ground and a circle of ice formed under Storme. With the dragon impaled, Roland was able to rush up and slash at the dragon's thick hide with his sword. He jumped back to avoid a swipe from its tail.

"Here, mun," said Lofty as he tossed a golden ball to Roland, "ya dropped this."

A surge of energy filled Roland's entire being and with the Kingmaker's blessing, he yelled a wordless battle cry as he raised his sword and -

Storme's tail slammed into him and he would have collided with a wall if Doloran hadn't caught him with an improvised use of his dark magic. Roland was able to remain standing somewhat because he quickly latched on to Doloran's staff to hold himself up.

"You are an absolute idiot," scolded Doloran, "and I can't believe you managed to stay alive for so long."

"You know me," huffed Roland, "can't stand things bigger than me bullying others."

"Of course," Doloran rolled his eyes but Roland grinned as he caught a quick fond smile as Doloran turned to look back at the dragon.

"Enough!" growled Storme, blinded and furious, "I shall be the end of all of you!" He rose into the air, out of reach of most spells, arrows, and short weapons.

Roland looked back and saw that Leander was chanting a stronger barrier spell to hide what Evan was doing. The boy king glowed as he tapped into Lofty's power and channeled it into Mornstar.

The dragon was unfortunately out of his reach. Roland narrowed his eyes and glanced at the staff he was holding on to.

 _Doloran, help me,_ he thought as he focused on creating another improvised Gravity Bullet.

Doloran nodded in response and poured his magic into the spell. The small orb became much bigger than anticipated and both men raised the staff and waved it at the dragon. The Gravity Bullet slammed into the dragon again and he yelped as he crash landed on the ground.

"This ends now!" yelled Evan as he rushed in glowing with all his power. He unleashed a wave of energy that sliced through the dragon.

Storme screamed one more time before he collapsed. All stood still, waiting for the dragon to move but it didn't.

Lofty ran up to the dragon and kicked it. There was no response.

"It's pretty flippin' dead!" he shouted.

Cheers erupted through the square and battle mages rushed to help quell fires that have erupted during the battle. There was no time to celebrate.

Meanwhile, Roland blinked, "We did it."

"Indeed," replied Doloran tiredly.

"We're okay," said Roland. He shook his head and chuckled as he ran a hand through his now tangled and wild hair. He definitely wasn't going to do this without wearing a pony tail again.

The thought sounded absurd to him and he couldn't help but burst out laughing. Doloran watched as his other slid down to the ground before his ailment spread to Doloran as well. Soon enough, there was two young men laughing hysterically on the ground while covered in soot, dirt, and small cuts.

"Are they going to be alright?" asked Bracken as she and the others looked on.

"I think so, lass," decided Batu.

"Oh wow," said Roland at last as he sagged against Doloran, "we are so dead if the healers find us."

"Worth it," agreed Doloran.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Moral of the story is: if nothing is moving like you want it to go, just throw in a dragon.
> 
> In this house, magical tree sap in your hair or whatever does not give you boosted magical powers. That's just...dumb. And therefore its not canon in here. But you can bet Nerea joined the bandwagon to get a reaction out of Leander.
> 
> One of the original ideas for this chapter is that Roland would be unable to move for awhile because everything hurts. Like 'trying to apply pressure to his foot to stand up is a bad idea' hurts and then there's Doloran who is using his magic to float everywhere. The idea was that they'll be stuck in bed and be forced to interact with each other and idk open up but that wasn't working. So yeah, dragon time.
> 
> Fun fact: if you're allergic to poison ivy, then you're also allergic to mangoes of all things. Not sure if poison ivy exists in Evan's world but I don't think cats can safely eat mangoes anyway.
> 
> Storme is one of the higher leveled tainted monsters you can fight and he's pretty tough. He's totally not upset that he no longer has a power boost. Nope, not at all.
> 
> Flappy at one point joined the battle towards the end but his presence felt superfluous so he got written out. Doloran and Roland were originally going to be slaying Storme themselves but the others joined in so it became a team effort. Some of Doloran's hard hitting spells (like the water tornadoes of doom) are still out of reach or got greatly nerfed (multiple tall towers of ice to like one smaller one). And like, since Roland doesn't have his arms band, he in turn doesn't have his gun, so he can't really focus making Gravity Bullet work very well. He doesn't have much practice with wands so he's doing his best. Nerfing Roland also means he can't do his heavier hitting attacks like Executive Order. Actually, I have never described him using that so he might not able to do it at all. Whoops.
> 
> Bracken was going to use her healing drones but since she never used them before, they got thrown out.
> 
> I had this image of Doloran and Roland all smiley and bishonen-y post-battle in my head all week and once I wrote it out, I realized what a mess they both must look once the battle is over. Welp, it was fun while it lasted.
> 
> Next chapter is coming as soon as I punch writer's block in the face again.


	46. Entry 43 - Marinate for three days before rotisserie burning for ten hours

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Post battle filler because I have no idea what to write before I start setting up the ending.
> 
> Also holy crap 100k word count. I wasn't expecting this when I began this madness.

Day 362/March 19, 20XX

The fires throughout the city were doused and Rumpel has been seen gathering a small party to help him check on Flappy. It was rather concerning that the Incineraptor hadn't made an appearance while Storme was attacking the kingdom. Roland would have joined the search party but he found that the idea of walking for miles to Flappy's den in the nearby hills incredibly exhausting just thinking about it.

With no arms band and no belt designed to hook on a sword, Roland could only carry the sword he borrowed in one hand. A passing stranger handed him a sixth censor which he shared with Doloran. It was enough to restore some energy between the two but not enough to leave the kingdom.

A pack of Higgledies hopped about the rooftops, celebrating that the danger is gone. A yellow one noticed the two humans below and shyly hopped down and with a squeak, healed some of their injuries away.

"Thank you," smiled Roland, not wanting to startle it.

"Hig pig!" chirped the Higgledy, happy to help out. It then rejoined its fellows now that it fulfilled its urge to make someone feel better.

When the healers at last tracked down their wayward patients, the two men were suspiciously unharmed but their clothes were covered in dirt, dried blood, rips and tears. And then she noticed the sword covered in dried dragon blood in Roland's hand and the tall staff that was clearly designed to cast magic both were using to hold themselves up. Well, that definitely confirms where they went.

"You used magic?" she placed her hands on her hips as she scowled, "so soon?!"

"Worth it," both men said in unison.

"It's still dangerous to exert yourselves while recovering," commented another healer, "magic takes a lot of energy to use."

"You could've reversed some of the progress you made," added Thetis, "but considering there was a dragon whose bounty described it as extremely dangerous just now..."

"Speaking of dragons," interrupted Roland, "I'm surprised Flappy hadn't tried to defend Evermore. I hope he's alright."

"Master Galen joined the search party," said Thetis, "Flappy will be in good hands."

" _Flappy_ ," muttered Doloran, still unimpressed by the name.

"So, er," began Roland as he lifted his hand holding the sword, "before you confine us forever, can I return this sword?"

* * *

They all walked back to the castle with the Chief Consul and his alleged brother insisting that they didn't need a stretcher. It would only demoralize everyone if a high ranking official is seen that way, the Chief Consul had insisted.

It also allowed Roland to assess the damage to the city. Fortunately, the fires didn't go past Aranella Square so only the market stalls and a few houses near the city gates were greatly damaged. The square's fountain will need a lot of repairs and hopefully somebody will come up with a better design than a cat forever gargling water.

Roland really missed the convenience of the arms band. He had yet to find the owner of the sword. Even though the mercenary he borrowed it from said it was a spare, he probably would like to have it back. So for now, Roland carefully held it as the group headed for their destination.

After a crowd bee lined to Doloran asking how to safely consume the dragon ("Gotta show it whose boss, y'know?" said a skinny engineer with a Broadleaf accent while several guardsmen and hunters nodded in agreement), Roland at last found someone who knew the mercenary he was asking about and passed the sword over to them.

Roland spotted a maid when they all at last entered the castle's residential wing.

"Can you take this to my apartment?" he asked as he handed her the staff he and Doloran were using as a crutch.

"I think your brother still needs of it, sir," she said as she watched Doloran wobble in place.

"Excellent idea," agreed Doloran, "I -" he paused as he realized something, "why can't we just cast Travel to the infirmary?"

"You want to exhaust yourself even further?" scolded a healer, "when we're almost there?"

Doloran muttered something indecipherable under his breath.

* * *

Day 364/March 21, 20XX

Batu stopped by with news of Flappy (alive with an injured leg and a sprained wing when he used them to protect himself from falling rocks when Storme flung him into a mountain) and a plate of dried meat. He stared at the scene before him.

Roland had a incredibly confused expression on his face as he held his phone in his hands. Doloran seemed unimpressed by this and a healer was looking at him in concern.

"What's botherin' him?" asked Batu.

"I don't know," replied the tabby-patterned grimalkin healer, "Mr. Crane asked for his arms band back and when I returned it, he pulled out his Viewer to grace Leafbook with his presence when the darn thing decided to beep at him."

"It did?" Batu frowned as he carefully approached the bed containing Roland, wondering what the gods threw at the unlucky lad this time.

He waved a hand in front of Roland's face which caused him to blink and look up at the small gathering around him.

"Oi, lad," said Batu, "what's got ye in a twist?"

"Tomorrow's my birthday," explained Roland as his confusion seemed to intensify, "am I turning twenty or am I turning forty-nine? Or does this entire year not count and I'm forever forty eight?"

"Ye think yer gonna pull a Leander for three hundred years?" This earned him a snort.

"Two thousand if I'm lucky."

"Ha ha," Doloran said in monotone.

"Well, for now," shrugged Batu, "yer both stuck in here until the healers get bored of ye. So here's an early birthday present." He presented the plate.

Roland eyed the contents of the plate with wide eyes, "Is that what I think it is?"

"I dunno," grinned Batu, "what do ye think it is?"

"Dragon meat," guessed Roland. Batu grinned and Roland double-taked between the plate and Batu, "You're...you're serious."

"The recipe ye shared has been a hit," said Batu.

"I wasn't kidding when I was telling my hunting stories," pointed out Doloran, "what else am I going to eat when I wasn't hiding in that pocket dimension?"

"Small animals?" said the healer who everyone forgot was also in the room, "Are you going to share that, Mr. Batu?"

...It would turn out that dragon meat is surprisingly spicy.

* * *

Day 366/March 23, 20XX

Doloran stirred and opened his eyes. The infirmary was dark, indicating that the sun hadn't begun to rise yet. What woke him up?

He caught the sound of a whimper and he sat up in bed, listening intently for a repeat.

"No..." came Roland's voice. Doloran quietly got out of bed and crept to Roland's. He summoned a small fireball in one hand in order to see what is going on.

Roland was still asleep and clutching the bed sheet tightly as his face twisted in horror.

"Stop...please don't launch it..." he whispered.

"Roland, wake up," said Doloran quietly after realizing the other man was having a nightmare. He tapped him on the shoulder with his free hand.

"Family...is there...please..." begged Roland.

Doloran shook him by the shoulder and was rewarded by a semi-conscious Roland latching on to his arm with a terrified expression.

"Spare them," he instructed, "Spare Yorkton."

Doloran quickly understood what Roland was dreaming about. Of course he'd still be effected by the death of his country after a year. Why wouldn't he be?

"Wake up," said Doloran again but had switched to Allegorian in hopes of startling him into full lucidity, "you're safe, brother."

The epithet he chose seemed to register in Roland and he stared sleepily at the other.

"They're safe?" he asked.

"Yes."

"Good," Roland sighed in relief before sinking back into his pillow, sleep claiming him once more. His tight grip on Doloran's arm loosened enough for Doloran to carefully pry Roland off.

He watched the sleeping man and waited for another nightmare to come. When none came, he sneaked back to bed.

* * *

The day was just gloomy. The clouds unleashed the rain around mid-morning. King Evan was decidedly less cheerful when he and Lofty came to visit.

"Evan?" said Roland in concern.

"It's...been a year," announced Evan, "...since the coup."

The healers who came from Ding Dong Dell winced while Lofty cringed. Doloran recalled how Vermine was incredibly smug for several weeks. It ultimately drove him to focus solely on Goldpaw for a while.

"That's right," Roland looked out the window, "it was storming that day too..."

"Er, yeah," said the grimalkin healer.

Evan quickly spotted the evasion tactic Roland was trying to do. His ears drooped. He hadn't meant to remind Roland what occurred in his world before he came here!

"Ah," he began quickly, "I received word from King Mausinger's messengers that there wont be a feast celebrating the anniversary of his coronation this year."

"Understandable," agreed Roland, who spotted the out, "What about you? What will you do for your kingdom's first birthday?"

"I...I don't know," admitted Evan, "I hadn't thought about that before."

"You have about a month to decide," said Roland gently.

"You don't need to make it incredibly grand," added Doloran, "a quiet celebration could work too."

"It's ultimately up to you," concluded Roland.

Evan blinked as he did his best to keep up. How are they doing that?

"Can you tone the twin thing down a little?" complained Lofty.

"You get used to it," sighed the resigned healer. "Master Galen just finds it fascinating and keeps encouraging it when he's on shift."

The elder mage had decided to stick around, even though that the initial danger has passed. He wanted to prepare himself for a journey to look for an apprentice to train. He was well aware that he wasn't getting any younger. He attempted to ask Doloran but received an adamant refusal.

"It could be worse," grinned Doloran.

"We could just - " started Roland.

"Oh gods," groaned the healer.

" - take turns - " continued Doloran.

" - saying a sentence," finished Roland.

Evan and Lofty could only stare at them in bewilderment.

"How long were you flippin' waitin' to do that?" asked Lofty.

"Only a - "

" - day or so."

"I will ask Master Thetis to nix both of you for a week if you don't stop," threatened the healer.

Evan started to giggle. He couldn't help it. It was...it was just so silly!

* * *

Day 368/March 25, 20XX

"So yer a year older, huh?" said Chingis after he and Khunbish ambushed Roland and Doloran when they caught word that the Chief Consul is finally being released from the infirmary.

"I guess," admitted Roland.

"Then we gotta celebrate!" grinned Khunbish.

"You go do that," said Doloran, "I have something to check on." He instantly teleported away.

"Eh, we'll get him next time," decided Khunbish.

"Well, more for us," shrugged Chingis.

* * *

A few hours later, despite their promises of 'partying hard,' the three of them ended up sharing four bottles. The two pirates were more wary about Roland's health then they had let on. And this Doloran swab...didn't Chief Batu say he was trying to take over the world? Why is the King's inner circle being buddies with the guy? And why does he resemble Roland of all people? Didn't he say once he was an only child?

Roland ended up confessing all of it. How the Horned One got way too interested in having him join forces with her. How alien and enormous she felt whenever she communicated with him. How he could've died or worse if he wasn't strong enough or if Lofty hadn't done anything to protect him. How Doloran was more or less under her thrall for millennia without him realizing it. How it turned out he and Doloran were more connected to each other than Roland could've imagined. How neither could harm or kill the other without repercussions. How Roland learned this hard way with gravity magic. How purifying the Horned One meant the original Kingmaker had to die and how both of them felt the agony of a life-long Kingsbond shatter and crumble until it was taken care of. And what 'taken care of' really meant.

"Blimey," said Khunbish at last.

"Yeah," agreed Roland.

"Just...blimey," Khunbish shook his head, "ye really need more than a bottle or two, that's fer sure."

"So we can't kill him without killin' ye, eh?" mused Chingis, "That puts a wrench in everyone's plans. Especially Munokhoi. Lad is surprisingly good at plotting vengeance despite all the shyness."

"Please don't," groaned Roland.

"Ah, don't worry about it," Khunbish smiled a very not reassuring smile, "we wont harm him." He turned to the doorway, "Oi! Pilo! Ye got all that?"

"Craziest thing I have ever heard in my life!" shouted Pilo outside of the village hut the three men were hanging around in, "But alright! Spreadin' the word!"

"Relax," said Chingis as Roland's face fell, "we Sky Pirates will only keep it among ourselves."

"That doesn't really reassure me," complained Roland.

* * *

Day 369/March 26, 20XX

"Yer twin is alright," grinned Pilo as he passed by Roland who was outside to observe the repairs to Aranella Square.

"...Thank you," said Roland, now concerned as to what exactly the Sky Pirates did to Doloran the night before.

"He's really good at bullshittin' at tall tales if ye ply him enough drink. At one point he claimed he met Chief Kublai and didn't die immediately after insultin' him," Pilo shook his head, amused.

Roland blinked as he realized that he discovered the source of his morning headache. He sighed.

"Please don't do it again."

"I can't make any promises."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Alright so, since I decided that Roland here is an Aries, I had to acknowledge his birthday eventually and bring back an old plot point I discarded. I set it on March 22 because having it after March 23 is going to add on to his confusion (is he technically 50 or 21 or is he forever 48?) and the additional mental gymnastics wasn't really worth it.
> 
> Evermore was founded around May 7 so Evan really does have at least a month to decide on things.
> 
> Roland hasn't hung out with Chingis and Khunbish in a while, my bad. And like, I'm not sure if Batu or Tani passed on word that Doloran is a good guy now so if not, Chingis, Khunbish, and the rest of the Sky Pirates have good reason to be concerned especially after Roland being out of the action for so long.
> 
> (There may be a selfie with an unimpressed Doloran on Roland's phone now. Really, do we need to do this now Roland? Its because of the shiny fad isn't it, ugh.)
> 
> See y'all next time.


	47. Entry 44 - At Least It Wasn't Zeus

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Next chapter is mostly written out so maybe sometime on Saturday it'll get posted.
> 
> It's time to bring forth the ending.

Ro Var: People in Evermore eat dragons now?

Ro Var: What does dragon taste like?

Long Mein: Mildly spicy.

Ro Var: ...Oh.

Tiffany: Are you serious? That was way too spicy.

Long Mein: Wow, weak.

Julius: You guys in Evermore seriously ate a dragon?!

Long Mein: To be fair, it attacked us first.

Ya Pi: Well, that answers my question.

Ted: I ate some because this wizard guy wouldn't shut up about it the other day.

Ted: I mean, if he was crazy enough to eat a dragon several times, then it better be worth it.

Long Mein: Well, Storme wont be attacking people again, that's for sure!

Ya Pi: Wait, Storme?

Ya Pi: The same Storme that was on the list of monsters that were tainted by the Horned One's power?

Ya Pi: And you all ate it?!

Julius: Wasn't that one listed as 'highly dangerous'?

Tiffany: The only danger it can do now is give everyone heart burn.

* * *

Day 370/March 27, 20XX

The dragon incident, Evan had found, revealed several things.

One: There may be a lot of very strong monsters out there who were granted additional power from the Horned One and may be not pleased by the Horned One's demise. If Storme could do this much damage to Evermore, then the others could be even worse. But now that Evan's peers have regained their Kingsbonds, their kingdoms would have a better chance of defending themselves.

Two: The fact that there was a lot of people in Evermore wanting to eat a dragon was concerning enough but did it have to start with Doloran? How come nobody told Evan what the former king was up to when he was outside of the castle? It's great he's mingling with other people but surely there's safer recipes he could share? Dragons are hard to defeat, let alone kill, and not everyone is an overpowered sorcerer like Doloran is (was?)...

On the bright side, now that everyone had satisfied their curiosity, the topic seems to be dying out faster than the sap fad. Perhaps its because Windwyrm meat is spicy and not everyone could handle that?

"I hope there isn't other dangerous creatures that are considered a delicacy," groaned Evan.

"In the past, Merfolk would hunt for Fangfish," revealed Leander, "however, the meat tends to go bad quickly so it is rarely done."

"They are also a pain to fight," complained Tani.

"Ugh," agreed Evan.

Three: The dragon attack had also broke down a lot of walls between Roland and Doloran. They are more willing to talk to each other now. They seem less awkward with each other. If Evan had to guess from what he'd seen with the nobles' children he had to interact with when he was younger, he suppose it would be the equivalent of siblings making up after a fight.

Roland seemed to be taking the soul mate thing rather well but Evan promised to not peek into his diary anymore. He doesn't really know what Roland truly thinks about it. He could be hating it with his entire being for all Evan knows.

It's been a month since they saved the world. Which is rather surprising because sometimes it felt like the battle to defeat the Horned One was ages ago. The fact that its been a little over a year since Evan met Roland had a similar feeling but not as grand as the events of last month.

In fact, Evan hadn't expected to save the world within a year when he had set out to establish his own kingdom. He had the expectations that he would be struggling for several years. Perhaps he would've established a trade with Goldpaw and the Greenlings while in constant worry about Ding Dong Dell invading. Instead, he rescued Goldpaw from Longfang's wrath, made allies with Goldpaw before turning his attentions to the rest of the world with a lofty goal in mind.

His kingdom's first birthday is a month away and Evan still has no idea how he should acknowledge it. Should he be like Mausinger and put it off for a year? Or follow the consuls' advice and have a low-key celebration?

He frowned and wondered if he should leave that aside for now. There was a slight buzzing in the air and it was really distracting. All of his instincts demanded that he hide from impending danger. But from what, exactly?

He glanced at Lofty who was staring out the window behind the throne.

"What's wrong?" asked Evan.

"They're here," was Lofty's reply, his voice wavering as if concerned about this turn of events.

"Whose here?"

"The flippin' gods," Lofty turned and he looked up at Evan with a serious expression, "don't go searching for them."

"Why?"

"They are here because some poor sap got their flippin' attention and wish to speak with them. Or punish them for their supposed arrogance. Or..." Lofty paused and stared at Evan for a moment as if he forgot something, "Never mind on the third thing. You're too young for that."

"Er, what?"

"Forget I said that!" flailed Lofty.

"...Alright," conceded Evan, now even more worried as to why the gods are visiting his kingdom but have no intentions of greeting him. He hoped it wasn't Doloran. He's been punished enough.

Or maybe they also want to have a bite of dragon like everyone else has in Evermore. Which, again, was really concerning and why couldn't Doloran just hunt smaller things that are less dangerous for the average person to try and brag about that in hunting lodges? Or perhaps picked a random kingdom and live there for several hundred years like a normal person?

Hmm...Did Roland ever intentionally go hunting for things bigger than him?

The buzzing feeling got more intense. Maybe...maybe Evan should visit the shrine later and bring offerings with him.

* * *

It was the late afternoon and Roland couldn't help but notice that Doloran and Leander seemed to be on edge in the office. Sure there was this slightly buzzing feeling but he was able to ignore it.

The buzzing seemed to be insulted by this decision and got more intense. The mages in the room looked like they were ready to bolt. He doubt it was another dragon again. A dragon would be announcing its presence a lot less subtly by now.

The urge to go out and get some fresh air made itself known and Roland decided that would be a good idea. In fact, he should do it now before Leander or Doloran start flinging spells around to ease the tension.

He made it to the courtyard when Hau Ling spotted him and seemed to approach him like a tractor beam in a bad sci-fi movie. The astrologer also had that tense expression but it was tinged with fear.

"Priestess Speio wishes to speak with you," Hau Ling announced when he got close enough and had dropped the creepy seer act. Which was concerning because he had never done that before, "it's very important. I suggest you don't keep her waiting. Just...don't." Hau Ling then fled.

Roland had a bad feeling about this.

He headed to the Kingmaker's Cathedral (as everyone started to call the shrine the moment it finished its expansion), wondering why it was just him being called. As he navigated around the Kingdom, he noticed how twitchy some mages were and he wondered why he wasn't being affected as badly.

The moment he stepped into the gardens leading to the Cathedral, Speio _hovered_ down the steps. Her legs dangled limply in the air and her eyes were rolling in their sockets. She stopped and unnervingly focused on him as 'she' reached the stair landing.

 _" We have been waiting for you, Roland Crane,"_ said a collage of voices, none of them belonging to the young priestess.

"Where's Miss Speio?" he asked, concerned. He had a feeling he had no chance of fighting off whoever was in control of the body. It would not end well for him or Speio.

 _"She is sleeping,"_ one of the voices replied, _"she agreed to hosting us for a short period of time. Any longer and it could harm her."_

"Who are you?"

 _"Haven't you figured it out already?"_ said a familiar booming voice, _"we've been trying to speak to you for a while but you wouldn't answer. We had to resort to this method."_

'Speio' turned and motioned to follow them into the shrine, _"Come. There is much to discuss."_ Roland obeyed and wondered when and how did he miss the fact that the gods were calling to him.

* * *

Doloran was concerned. Roland had stepped out muttering about fresh air and hasn't returned yet. Its been over an hour and the sun was setting. Where did he go?

Leander seemed to be thinking the same thing as he looked at a near by clock. "It will be time for dinner soon," he pointed out.

"Yes," agreed Doloran distractedly as he attempted to contact Roland through the link. It was rather difficult for some reason. It felt...muddled.

 _I will speak to you soon,_ Roland finally replied after a lot of prodding.

And then the link became muddled once more. As if someone or something was interfering. And whatever it was, the disturbance in the air was a mere fragment of its presence.

The buzzing pressure seemed to intensify as if agreeing with his assessment. Nearby, Leander managed to suppress a twitch.

* * *

Doloran had the feeling that he should return to his domicile in the city. The link was still muddled and the intense buzzing was slowly lifting but he couldn't shake off that something is about to happen.

Upon arriving, he set off to the kitchen to make a pot of tea in order to soothe his nerves. To his shame, he still couldn't remember the Allegorian method of steeping tea. In his quest to restore Allegoria, he ironically neglected to keep its culture alive.

He settled on the Goldpaw method of making tea. He couldn't shake off the two years of observing the kingdom's customs in order to make his Mandarin disguise more convincing. He glanced at the cups he recovered from Allegoria's ruins before choosing two.

The moment he set down the cups, the odd pressure suddenly vanished completely and the link screamed in sorrow. He almost swiped a cup off the table in his shock. What caused Roland to feel that way?

There was a somewhat frantic knocking on the front door. Alarmed, Doloran left the kitchen and opened it to reveal Roland standing outside with a carefully blank expression despite the bond screaming his true emotions.

Once allowed in and the door was closed, the younger man's facade broke. Doloran could only watch as grief twisted Roland's features.

"What happened?" asked Doloran.

The only answer he got was Roland clinging on to Doloran's shoulder as he sobbed.


	48. Entry 45 - An Unexpected Departure

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> I could've merged this and last chapter together but where I had it end last chapter felt like a good stop and idk pacing or whatever.
> 
> Anyway, I'm still not sure I made THAT SCENE better or worse or both.

Day 377/April 3, 20XX

The mysterious visit of the gods lasted only a couple of hours. In that time, everyone noticed how mages who were more attuned with magic and nature looked ready to bolt. Yet they couldn't explain it and the astrologers in the kingdom couldn't get a clear reading from the stars. Lofty advised Evan to not reveal what caused it because not everyone will take the gods visiting the mortal realm very well.

Once the phenomenon was over, there was rumors that the Chief Consul himself carried the young priestess Speio to the castle infirmary in a panic. He refused to speak of what caused her to look so _drained_ and still wont.

Whatever had happened, it caused Master Galen to delay his departure and help out in Speio's recovery.

(Thetis did his best to not look relieved that he got a patient who is a member of his own species this time.)

It took a day for Speio to wake up and she refused to explain what caused her severe exhaustion beyond 'one of the hazards of her duties.' Evan had privately visited her when the healers deemed her ready for visitors.

It was obvious to Evan what had caused it but it couldn't hurt to get a confirmation of his suspicions.

"Why did you channel the gods the other day?" he asked quietly.

"Because they wanted," Speio frowned, "I think they wanted someone's attention."

"Did they?"

"I..." she couldn't recall what went on while she was possessed, "suppose they did."

That statement, Evan found, wasn't exactly reassuring.

Roland and Doloran had skipped breakfast and hadn't reported to duty until mid-morning the day after what the mages were calling The Buzz (which was the most ridiculous sounding name Evan had ever heard but he had promised Lofty to not reveal what it actually was and surely The Visit was a better name). Roland's smile seemed forced and Doloran was proving the idea that one's frown can intensify. Evan wasn't sure how Doloran was achieving it.

Roland's behavior became somewhat erratic. He had spent some days pouring over the laws he had a hand in writing months ago and was rumored to be asking Doloran and Leander if they could accept any of the junior consuls and ministers who reported to him.

And then there was the shopping sprees around the other kingdoms. Why would he need so many books on recipes and fairy tales? And why a wand made for beginners?

Evan couldn't help but wonder if something terrible was about to happen. It was starting to remind him how desperate with his duties his father became when he got sicker. As if he knew the end was coming.

"Is everything alright?" Evan asked on the fifth day after The Visit as they headed to the kitchens to order lunch.

Roland paused in his tracks and blinked.

"Everything is fine," he replied while wearing the Politician Face, "Don't you worry about it, Your Majesty."

* * *

And then one morning, Evan woke up with the most intense feeling of dread he had ever felt. It was on par with when his father was at last dying. He needed to get up _now_.

"What's the rush, mun?" commented Lofty as he watched Evan frantically get ready for the day.

"J-just a feeling I'm having," said Evan as he brushed his hair.

"Yeah?" Lofty prompted.

"Like..." began Evan as he tried to find a way to best explain it, "like I need to look my best for what's about to happen today."

"What do you think is about to happen?" asked the Kingmaker.

"Something...bad," whispered Evan.

Properly dressed and refreshed, Evan rushed out of his chambers and neglected to close the door in his haste. He ignored Lofty's yelp of 'slow down!' and he faintly registered Batu calling his name. But he can't stop now.

He reached the throne room, startling the guards as he suddenly came to a halt.

"The Chief Consul and his brother just arrived before you," said one of the guards.

"They seemed upset," added the other guard, "you sure you want to go in there now?"

"Yes," gasped Evan.

"Alright," shrugged the first guard, "but if they're having a family spat, then maybe you should leave them be." He and his colleague opened the doors anyway.

Evan calmly strode inside. As he got closer to the throne, his ears picked up the consuls' conversation.

"The throne room, really?" sighed Doloran, "Of all the places to go, you choose the throne room."

"I..." started Roland, his voice sounding resigned, "I just wanted to see it once last time, I guess."

"Roland?" said Evan as he approached the duo. Doloran spoke a word in Allegorian that made Roland raise a blue tinged eyebrow at him as they reluctantly turned to greet the King.

"Ah, Evan," Roland was outlined in a glowing blue color. Little lights of magical energy was floating around him.

"What's happening, Roland?" asked Evan as he felt the already present dread intensify.

"I had hoped you wouldn't have to see this," said Roland guiltily.

"Too late," commented Doloran.

"I...I'm returning to my world," confessed Roland, "The Horned One's magic brought me here and now that it's gone, the spell...wore off."

"Was it the gods' doing?" Why else would they have visited Evermore?

"No," Roland shook his head, "they've been wanting to warn me for weeks but I wouldn't answer the phone. It's been wearing off since the Horned One's defeat and they wanted me to have more time to prepare."

"You couldn't ask them to let you stay?"

"If I had spoken to them in the start, yes," revealed Roland as he laid a hand over his heart, "But now...I can definitely feel the pull."

His ties to this world had been fraying for over a month, Evan realized. No wonder it took him four days to wake up after that time with Galen.

But wait...

"B-but Roland," said Evan, "your world. It's..." He couldn't bring himself to say it.

"I know," Roland looked back at the throne, "Before I came here, I saw war claim my country. Who knows what's left."

"I...I don't know what's waiting for me," added Roland and Evan's ears unwillingly detected how fearful he sounded despite the brave facade Roland was holding up, "I may be returning to death and despair..."

"But what if you die?" Evan waved a hand to Doloran, "Wouldn't that kill him too?"

"We don't know what will happen," admitted Doloran, "but perhaps we would be granted mercy in some fashion."

Roland took a deep shuddering breath as the pull got stronger and he felt calming acceptance wash over him. Yeah...maybe that would happen. Maybe he would return to his original body and die swiftly before joining his family in the afterlife. Perhaps death after two thousand years of being alone would be mercy for Doloran. That was punishment enough.

Or maybe Melissa and Sean are still alive and waiting for him to come back. If they survived the apocalypse, Roland felt as though he would be able to bear it.

"Whatever's waiting for me, I'll be able to face it," he decided as he slowly turned to face Evan once more, "I built this kingdom with you, Evan. If I can do that, I can do anything." His eyes shined with pride.

"You taught me a lot, King Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum," smiled Roland as the blue light intensified, "I wont forget that. Not ever."

Roland cautiously extended his arm as if waiting for a hand shake. Evan complied but before they could shake hands, Evan let go and hugged Roland around the waist while bursting into tears.

"I don't want you to go!" he cried out.

He felt a hand stroke his head, "I know," said Roland, "I still don't want to go either."

"Can't you somehow stay?" said Tani's voice suddenly. Evan look up and saw Tani rushing to the pair before wrapping her arms around Roland as well.

"I'm sorry," Roland shook his head before feeling Batu clapping a hand on his left shoulder before leaning in and Bracken doing the same on right. She grabbed Leander and pulled him into the group hug.

"C'mon, Dolly-boy," chirped Lofty as he hopped onto Batu, "get in here too."

"As you command, oh Mighty Kingmaker," Doloran said sarcastically before he awkwardly joined in. They all held on to Roland one last time before he broke away and took a step back.

"It was an honor knowing you all," Roland smiled one last time, "Good-bye, everyone."

The light engulfed the former Chief Consul as a circle with an unfamiliar rune appeared under his his feet. When the light subsided, Roland was gone.

Roland Crane had left the world.

Doloran made a groaning noise that sounded like he was in great pain before collapsing onto the floor, unconscious.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> LET THEM HUG. LET THEM ALL HUG.
> 
> Part of me was tempted to have Roland leave just as the rest of the part caught up but I couldn't bear it so no, let them all say good-bye. D:
> 
> I have a good (dumb) reason for knocking out Doloran and it shall be revealed next week. But until that happens, enjoy this cliffhanger of sorts.


	49. Final Entry - The Last Goodbye

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is part of a two-part update. This is part one.
> 
> First off, I just realized that I forgot to mention which two kingmakers the party had to fight in chapter 37 were references. The Plesiosaur was meant to resemble Loosha from Professor Layton and the Last Specter. The Kingmaker described as a mix of a racoon and a dog was an attempt to describe one of the Tanuki from My Neighbor Totoro. But then I rewatched a few clips and uh...I was way off. So technically, I made one deliberate reference. orz
> 
> Anyway, I wasn't expecting this chapter to be long but it went and did so anyway.

Day 377

It has been one hour since Roland departed from the world and Doloran hasn't woken up yet. Thetis had thrown his hands up and ranted in Mer presumably about how Doloran returned to the infirmary _again_ the moment Batu entered while carrying the unconscious man.

Unfortunately, since Galen had already departed a couple days ago, there was no way to tell what is happening to Doloran. Lofty has less experience with spiritual magic compared to the old man and can't really tell what is happening. The best he can claim to do is sense that Doloran is alive.

One hour has passed and no one besides the guards who followed the rushing ministers into the throne room out of concern, the infirmary, the king and the king's remaining inner circle know about Roland's...departure.

The position of Chief Consul has been left open and so far no one wanted to address the issue. The King obviously didn't want to deal with it. Despite his blank expression, his tail betrayed his true feelings by hanging limply behind him.

Tani meanwhile had been frowning as she looked down at her feet, her hands clenching and unclenching. Batu knew she was waiting to be alone.

The infirmary's silence was at last interrupted when Lord Summerlands barged in.

"What is the meaning of this?!" he yowled as he waved a sheet of parchment in the air. Lady Penelope entered the room, mortified by the Earl's behavior.

"What do you mean?" asked Leander who eyed the parchment with interest.

"Why has the Chief Consul slipped a farewell letter under my door?! Is he playing spy again?"

They all stared at him.

"He did flippin' what?" yelped Lofty, breaking the stunned silence.

"He left me a letter," said the Earl, unimpressed, "stating he will be gone by the time I read it. He also wanted me to pass along the message that there is more of these in his quarters."

"He left all of us a note?" whispered Tani.

"He...he said he didn't expect me to see him leave," Evan at last spoke while slightly trembling, "He was just going to vanish without saying anything..."

"And, what, let us find Dolly-boy on the flippin' ground with no explanation how he flippin' got like that?" frowned Lofty.

"He could be dying!" shouted Evan, "Both of them..."

"Excuse me," said Tani before she suddenly teleported out of the room. Batu frowned before he followed suit.

"What do you mean dying?" asked Penelope as she stared at the unconscious man in the bed with concern.

"Roland is from another world," revealed Leander, "and before he was brought here by the Horned One, his country was attacked and he was gravely injured. Since he and Doloran are soul mates, if one dies..."

"Oh gods," gasped Penelope as Evan made a strangled mewl noise.

"Then he must be rescued," decided the Earl, wanting to raise up the King's mood.

"We could if the pathways between worlds weren't flippin' blocked and Gateway worked like it was flippin' supposed to do," grumbled Lofty.

"Then do so some research for gods' sake," the Earl huffed, "Mr. Crane is a valuable member of this kingdom and you're giving up before you tried anything." He stiffly left the infirmary.

"Research..." said Evan as hope returned to him, "we should go to the library!"

"Standing around here isn't going to do anything," agreed Bracken as she tapped through her Leafbook Viewer before closing it, "Well, the good news is that Roland had the sense to not leave behind a farewell message on Leafbook."

"We would be forced to explain ourselves before we were ready," added Leander.

"I suggest waiting until Your Majesty has calmed," said Penelope, "it wouldn't do if you flee to Goldpaw in a desperate panic." She raised a hand before Evan could protest, "Doloran...was it?...isn't going to get worse if you do nothing at this very minute."

* * *

They ended up leaving a few hours later. Evan couldn't leave without receiving a few updates about the status of Evermore (the architects finally agreed on a new fountain design for Aranella Square and would soon be showing him the blueprints for his approval). Tani had reappeared around mid-morning with slightly reddened eyes. No one made mention of this fact.

Upon arrival to the library, Boddly approached the group, "What do you seek, Your Majesty?"

"Ancient runes and spells," was Evan's reply.

"Oh? Are you planning to expand your knowledge of magic?" her eyes gleamed, "I may have some bookie-wookies that may interest you. Follow me." She barked a few orders to some of her assistants and they all scrambled to various ends of the library. Some went into a door and a few minutes later, Evan's ears picked up the sound of footsteps below.

The books and tablets Evan was given were laid out on a table in an out of the way alcove that would help him remain undisturbed as he and his remaining advisors worked.

A few hours later, Tani said tiredly, "Got anything?"

"I've learned that there is a spell that summons brooms," frowned Bracken.

"One that turns ye into a werefish," said Batu, trying very hard to hide his amused tone.

"As in a Merfolk?" asked Leander.

"No, a fish."

"That sounds...dangerous," commented Evan who looked up from a page that contained a powerful healing spell that can leave an inexperienced magic user unable to cast anything for a few hours. It looked rather useful.

"Aye, especially when ye can't fight back as a fish."

"No wonder that hasn't seen much use today," said Lofty before sighing, "but there's flippin' nothin' about Gateway!"

"Gateway you say, hmm?" Boddly approached the group, "now why would you need such a spell?"

"Uh - "

"If you plan to be like King Ferdinand, you must finish what you started in this realm first, yes?"

"Roland..." Evan said quietly, his ears drooping, "is in trouble."

"The pretty one?" said Boddly wide-eyed before leaning in, "We may have something about Gateway but it is old and shelved deep below. My assistants need to track it down first. Come back tomorrow, dearie-wearie."

"B-but - "

"The labyrinth below is vasty-wasty and it wont do anyone good if you get lost, no?"

"No," agreed Evan as he slumped in disappointment.

The Evermore delegation returned to no change to Doloran's condition and Evan flopped into bed that night emotionally and physically exhausted.

* * *

Day 378

The next day, he returned to the library reeling from his dreams. Ferdinand is actually his future son? Boddly is actually a seer?

Did that mean she knew Roland was leaving?

"Ah, welcome back, King Evan," greeted Boddly. Her eyes had that gleam again.

Evan looked around and found no one was close enough to overhear them, "You knew all along, didn't you?"

"Knew what?" said Boddly as she guided Evan to a private alcove.

"You knew who Ferdinand really was the whole time," accused Evan, "it's true, isn't it? He's my son."

"What the flip?" Lofty stared at Evan incredulously.

"Who?" asked a confused Bracken.

"What," added Tani flatly.

"Hmmm, hmmm," smiled Boddly, "so, you have found out Boddly's secret, yes? It's true. Boddly is a seer but I don't foresee everything."

"Then - " began Evan.

"Unfortunately, I didn't foresee how Gateway would avoid being found. My assistants have searched and searched and they all get redirected to the entrances. Something is keeping us from finding the bookie-wookies that mention the spell."

"That's odd," frowned Tani, "why would they do that?"

"Boddly has a theory-weory," declared Boddly, "Pretty boy has been given a task and no one must interfere."

"B-but..."

"I'm sorry, Your Majesty," Boddly shook her head, "your quest ends here."

* * *

Evan stared at the unconscious Doloran as the former king's chest rose and fell. He has shown no response to the healers' tests so far. He hasn't shown signs of dreaming. It's like he's been cursed to an enchanted sleep. Evan wished Galen was still here. Surely he would know what's truly happening.

"How did you know about Ferdinand?" asked Tani in an attempt to distract him.

"He's been visiting me in dreams for the past year," revealed Evan, which resulted in his remaining ministers staring at him in shock, "he had been giving me advice on things I was stuck on. He didn't tell me who he really was until last night."

"So what youer sayin' is that the Great Uniter is youer kid?" said Lofty.

"I wonder," Leander adjusted his glasses, "if the advice this Ferdinand would give you is advice you had given him."

"Oooh, that's makin' my head flippin hurt thinkin' about it."

"How do ye know he's not trickin' ye into spoutin' secrets to a foe?" frowned Batu.

"Because..." cringed Evan as he realized the thought never occurred to him, "he has the same coloring as my mother. And...somehow I felt like I could trust him..."

As Evan went to bed that night, he eyed the locked door to Roland's apartments before forcing himself to move on. It can wait, he promised himself.

* * *

Day 380

"I-I think," Evan began as the sun reached its mid-morning position in the sky, "we should visit Roland's rooms f-for the letters."

"Are you sure you're ready for this?" asked Leander.

"No," admitted Evan, "but people will start to notice his absence soon and...we must prepare ourselves for the worst." If Roland was actually tasked with a quest from the gods and failed, they would all know immediately.

Roland's apartment was surprisingly tidy. It was though Roland spent his last day in the world cleaning. The only thing he missed was an open chest that Evan recognized as the same chest that Roland stored the suit he came into the world wearing. It was empty and on a hunch, Evan ran to the wardrobe and found that all was in there was two spares of his guardsman coat. He numbly noted that the black coat was gone and so was the warrior robes he received in Goldpaw.

"Evan," called Tani, "Come here quick."

Evan ran over to the main room where Tani and others gathered around the table. On the table was the diary, the consul's log, some envelopes titled to several people Roland had known around the kingdom, a letter declaring his resignation from the post of Chief Consul, a pile of memoliths with their names written on, and a bundle of papers titled 'Last Will and Testament of Roland Crane.' The will was last updated a week after the Horned One's defeat.

Evan hesitated as he reached for the diary. But...what if Roland knew more of what was about to happen?

He flipped the pages and spotted a date that was the day after the Horned One's defeat.

_I am surprised I am still alive and sane after what I've been through. I suppose it was fortunate no one else had to bear the weight of the Horned One's mind bearing down on them._

As he read more of the entry, Evan's ears drooped and he increasingly became horrified at how close they could have lost Roland that day. Roland was lucky the Horned One had managed to partially possess him. Any further...

Evan shuddered. He continued reading the entry and stopped when he saw a couple of drawings. One was of Roland's wife from the neck up and the other was a woman with shaggy white hair and three horns on her head. They would look exactly the same if the horned woman didn't have reptilian features.

_I then found myself in a white void. Before me was a woman who resembled Melissa._

_"Hello, Roland," she said._

_"Melissa?" I gasped._

_"Not quite. I am Alisandra."_

"Fascinating," spoke Leander suddenly and Evan mewed in fright. He turned around and saw Leander standing behind him. Evan continued to read.

_"I wish to thank you," said Alisandra, "for breaking through the madness and reaching out to Doloran. He had been under the Horned One's influence since the very beginning. The Horned One refused to allow me to influence him. I couldn't go beyond the seal I fashioned to lock the Horned One away."_

_"That voice I've been hearing in Allegoria and in my dreams lately," I realized, "that was you?"_

_"Yes," she confirmed, "Doloran may have been out of my reach but you weren't. You didn't dismiss me as a trick of the Horned One. You knew I needed help even if you had no idea what to do. You resisted the Horned One with all your strength and in the end, I was freed."  
_

_"What is the Horned One?" I asked.  
_

_"The Horned One is my punishment for forsaking my duty as Kingmaker. I detached myself from the power given to me by the Winnower and by doing so, I left a power roam mindlessly and unchecked. So I sealed it away before its wrath could extend beyond Allegoria."_

Reeling from the revelation that Roland and Doloran more or less fell in love with the same woman, Evan skipped a few entries and found that the one he was reading was about Roland trying to reconcile his feelings about Doloran being his soul mate. How does one get along civilly with a man who tried to brainwash you? Very awkwardly as Evan recalled.

The entry after that began with _I had that hallway dream again. Why can't those voices leave me be?_

It would turn out the dreams ceased after Galen first arrived.

And then Evan found it. The entry was written as though Roland was shaking.

_I've been so foolish. I had come to think of this world as my home now and it hadn't occurred to me that the magic the Horned One used to bring me here could wear off and send me back._

_The dreams from earlier this month was actually the gods trying to speak with me but after two weeks of hearing a voice in my head, I had refused to listen. So they waited for when it was too late to do anything to get my attention._

_I am to sent back to my original world by the end of the week. There's a great chance that I may die when I return._

_I have family waiting for me but I fear that they are most definitely dead. There is no surviving a nuclear blast at point blank range. I like to think they would want me to move on and I did with great guilt for leaving them behind.  
_

_I don't want to leave my new family._

Evan closed the book, unwilling to read more. There was no quest. His time in this world merely ran out.

"It states that Roland's accumulated salary is to go to Doloran, who he named as his next of kin," said Bracken as she went through the will, "makes sense I guess. I suppose he wanted Doloran to have something to fall back on until he gets a hang on being a king again."

"But it was dated while they were incredibly awkward with each other," Tani pointed out.

"Indeed," said Leander, "But its telling of Roland's character that he is unwilling to leave someone destitute."

Batu picked up the will when Bracken set it down and read through it. "He didn't name a successor."

"It was agreed between the two of us," revealed Leander, "that if Roland is unable to do his duties permanently, I am next in line as Chief Consul."

"But aren't you going to marry Queen Nerea and become King Consort someday?" asked Evan, "You would have to give up the post..."

"Roland had spoken of training an apprentice but we never attempted it once Roland was made aware of the concept of delegating. But before I become King of Hydropolis, you will be appointing a new Chief Consul."

"I understand," said Evan.

"Now, all we have left are these letters and memoliths," Leander waved a hand in the items' general direction, "Each memolith is addressed to each of us. I suppose he wanted to leave a final message to everyone."

Evan picked up the first memolith from the pile and found that it was labeled with his name. He will watch it later.

* * *

It was dark and Evan still couldn't sleep. He knew he should watch the memolith but if he delayed it then he wouldn't...

Evan sat up in bed, frustrated. Oh, its no use.

He got out of bed and walked over to the dresser where in one of the drawers was the memolith. He retrieved it and sat back onto the bed. He pressed the button Bracken long ago explained that it would play what was recorded.

Immediately a holographic picture of Roland sitting by the table in the main room of his suite appeared.

_"Hello, Evan,"_ Roland began, his voice steady, warm, and rehearsed.

_"If you are watching this, then I am assuming you have discovered that I am gone and you took initiative to investigate. If all has gone to plan, my departure would've gone unnoticed for most of the day. I would have disappeared without any warning like a_ coward _."_ The Roland in the memolith hissed the final word and for a few seconds Evan could spot the grief Roland was holding back.

_"But if fate intervened and made you watch me leave...I'm sorry,"_ Roland shook his head.

~!~!~

_"...I must admit, Batu, we didn't get off to a great start. But despite all logic, we had become brothers in arms..."_

"Aye," nodded Batu.

~!~!~

_"...I have faith in you carrying the title of Chief Consul as long as you can. I'm sorry I won't be there when you and Nerea at last throw the world into chaos with just a wedding..."_

~!~!~

_"...I apologize for not bringing you into the fold before the whole spy incident occurred. You were right that we should've considered you as well..."_

"Damn straight."

~!~!~

_"...One of my regrets is that I will not be there to see you grow into an even more formidable sky pirate..."_

"Flatterer," smiled Tani weakly.

~!~!~

_"...I am proud to see how far you've grown into your Kingship, Evan. Within a year you've accomplished so much,"_ Roland at last smiled and seemed to glow with a parental pride.

"Thank you," whispered Evan.

Roland seemed to hesitate before he continued, _"This is rather inappropriate to say considering the difference between our stations but you were like a son to me, Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum."_

"W-what?"

_"...Unfair to you considering how much you have lost in the past year. What I just said may bring you no comfort but I feel that I can't leave without telling you. It's also unfair for you to learn this from a recording because again, I'm being a coward."_

~!~!~

"You bloody idiot," whispered Tani.

~!~!~

_"...Evan in the end will have you to turn to, Chief Batu. Our boy will be the best damn king of the world and its because we were all there when he needed it most..."_

~!~!~

_"...May Hydropolis prosper under your marriage. Farewell, Leander Aristides."_

~!~!~

_"...May you continue dazzling the world as the First Lady of Tech..."_

~!~!~

_"...Farewell, Chief Batu of the Sky Pirates."_

~!~!~

_"This is goodbye, Tani. Show them that you wont be underestimated."_

~!~!~

_"It's been an honor serving you, Your Majesty. I am glad to have met you."_

"Ahem," said Lofty suddenly.

_"And I am glad to have met Lofty as well. May you become the greatest Kingmaker of all,"_ Roland continued as if he was expecting Lofty to say something at this point.

_"May Evermore be prosperous under your reign, King Evan Pettiwhisker Tildrum. And may your descendants continue bringing glory to the Kingdom. Farewell, Evan."_

The recording ended and Evan picked up Lofty to hold him tightly as the child king of Evermore sobbed.

* * *

Day 381

"You watched it too, huh?" said Tani as they headed to the infirmary to see if there was any change.

"Y-yeah," nodded Evan.

"He said I like a daughter to him and apologized for being too cowardly for saying it in person," revealed Tani. Evan stopped in his tracks.

"Really? You too? I-I mean, he said I was like a son," somehow it still caused his throat to tighten.

"I guess..." Tani looked down, "he couldn't stop being a dad."

"Yeah..." agreed Evan.

"But don't ye tykes worry," said Batu suddenly as he bent down to ruffle the two pre-teens' hair, "Roland is not goin' to up and forget ye."

"Guys!" shouted Bracken as she ran towards the small group, "he's awake!"

* * *

Doloran seemed surprised to find himself in the infirmary as if he wasn't expecting such a thing. However, he wasn't surprised he had been in a coma for a few days.

"It's happened before," he revealed, "Roland wasn't the first soul mate I had."

"W-what?" gasped Evan.

"The Horned One wanted to be free from its prison," said Doloran, "and it can't do that if I die. I've been in a state of immortality for two thousand years and part of it was because the Horned One made sure that I wouldn't die because my soul mate did. But it wasn't completely effective. When a soul mate dies, I would black out for days at a time until my soul matches with another. This has happened fourteen times."

"Then Roland is truly dead?" asked Leander stiffly while the others look as though they've been struck in the face.

"No," Doloran shook his head, "I can still feel him. He's alive. He's _safe_."

 

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> The way I ended last chapter took out Evan's original excuse for reading the diary for answers. So I just summoned the Earl.
> 
> Ferdinand being Evan's future son made more sense when I encountered concept art of Evan's mother (who also appears somewhere in the credits sequence). Her hair was the same shade of blue/black as Ferdinand's. It skipped a generation I guess. *shrugs*
> 
> And then I got horrible writer's block on the diary segment and like, I had been picturing what would be in it for months and what I got written out was...that. orz
> 
> The memoliths was originally going to be just focused on Evan but my melodramatic ass decided to skip around and make mini-scenes with the others. I probably ruined it whoops.
> 
> Doloran's coma thing comes from my headcanon that since he's 2000 years old, there were soul mates before Roland so Doloran is kinda like Shadar in that he's more or less immortal unless fatally wounded by his soul mate. And like, the Horned One didn't completely remove Doloran from the life/death cycle so he gets knocked out for a while until his soul mate is reborn. IDK it made sense at the time.
> 
> I just randomly chose 14 because a couple of them most likely lived for like 200 years at most. Roland is unaware that he technically has past lives but does he really need a new reason to angst? :/
> 
> Next up: the epilogue
> 
> Edited on 10/7/18 to provide better clarification


	50. Epilogue

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> This is part 2 of 2 of today's update. Go back if you haven't read the previous chapter yet.

Day XXXXX/March 23, 20XX

A motorcade surrounding a car crossed the bridge leading to a city known as Yorkton. The car being escorted bore flags that contained the Presidential Seal of the country of Eagalia.

"We will be arriving at the World Unification Summit shortly, Mr. President," announced the driver of the escorted car. In the backseat, a man in a purple suit shifted into a more alert state.

"Thanks," replied President Roland Crane, age 48. He picked up the tablet sitting on the seat beside him and smiled as he read the itinerary of the next few days.

The bodyguard next to the driver glanced at the President's reflection in the rear view mirror, "You seem happy."

Roland blinked. "Not really," he set down the tablet and reclined in his seat. "We still have a mountain to climb."

He sighed, "I can't imagine convincing all of the nations of the world to sign up would be this easy."

_It wasn't easy the first time,_ he recalled. But in the end, King Evan had completed his first steps in uniting his world.

It had been 28 years since Roland had his adventures in the other world. He had woken up as his 20 year old self and discovered he was in the past. Despite discovering that he was still wearing his arms band, he couldn't access it until a year passed. In the meantime, Roland spent months wondering if it was all real or just an elaborate dream he had.

After readjusting to the rules and customs of the world he was born in, Roland eventually he decided that he had been given a second chance. Armed with the knowledge of what had occurred before this day, Roland set out to make things right and had successfully prevented the war that nearly killed him in the original timeline.

And now, he was so close to his goal of an united world.

"It's never been done before, I guess," said the bodyguard, "but if you can pull it off...wow."

"It would be amazing, sir," added the driver.

"Oh, it's been done before alright," smiled Roland.

The bodyguard twisted around in his seat so he could look back at the oddly nostalgic politician.

"Really?" He asked in surprise.

The President was about to answer when a light caught his attention. He had a moment of panic before relaxing when he saw what it really was.

Fireworks continued to be set off the closer the motorcade got to the city.

"Oh yes," grinned Roland as colorful light painted the sky, "In a little country a long, long way from here..."

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> Originally I was going to send Roland back ten years but if he was to be really successful, then he needs to go further back. Even he has no idea how old he truly is anymore whoops.
> 
> It's been one heck of a ride and my mind is still blown by the fact that I wrote something this long within the space of five months.
> 
> I think I'll wait a bit before attempting a sequel. In the mean time, I'll be working on a few works in progress I neglected to focus on this one. orz
> 
> Thank you for reading. :)
> 
> Edited on 10/7/18 with minor expansions.


End file.
